Charles    Josselyn 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA 


AFD 


AMONG  THE  ANCIENTS, 

WITH  AN  ACCOUNT  OP  THEIR 

MYSTIC  INITIATIONS,  AND    THE 
HISTORY   OF  SPIRITISM. 


BY 


LOUIS    JACOLLIOT. 

Catief  Justice  of  CfumOenaffur  (French  East  Indies),  ana  otf  Tahiti  (Ocecmtca) 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  FRENCH  BT 

WILLAED  L.  FELT. 


NEW  YORK: 

THE  THEOSOPHICAL  PUBLISHING  CO. 

244  LENOX  AVENUE 

1908. 


UaCl 

een  issue  J    j;    i: 
~>oyle,   who   todfc 


Ar-  f  those 


COPTEIGHT,   1884.  BT  JOHN  W.  LOVBLL  COMPANY. 


COPYBIOHT,  1901,  BT  TH«  MKTAPHTSIOAL  PUBLISHING  COMPAMT. 


, 


PREFACE. 


will  lay  aside,  for  the  present,  our  inquiries  into 
the  general  subject  of  the  primitive  civilizations  of  the  far 
East,  and  the  people  who  have  sprung  from  the  Brahminic 
stock  in  the  old  world,  in  order  to  publish  the  result  of 
such  researches  as  we  have  been  able  to  make,  during  our 
long  residence  in  India,  into  the  subject  of  occult  science, 
and  the  practices  of  those  who  have  been  initiated  into 
the  sect  of  the  Pitris,  which  is  Sanscrit  for  spirits  or  an- 
cestral shades. 

This  is  neither  a  doctrinal  book  nor  a  work  of  criticism. 

"We  are  not  called  upon  to  decide,  either  for  or  against, 
the  belief  in  spirits,  either  mediating  or  inspiring,  which 
was  held  by  all  who  had  been  initiated  in  the  temples  of 
antiquity,  which  is  to-day  the  keystone  of  the  philosoph- 
ical and  religious  instruction  of  the  Brahmins,  and  to  which 
many  of  our  Western  thinkers  and  scientists  seem  inclined 
to  assent. 

Being  neither  an  advocate  of  this  belief,  nor  the  opposite, 
we  are,  on  that  account,  better  able  to  write  its  history. 

An  ardent  partisan  would  have  been  too  credulous,  and 
would  have  taken  everything  upon  trust.  A  rabid  oppo- 
nent would  have  made  it  his  business  to  disparage  and 
discredit  it. 

We  shall  give  the  words  themselves,  and  set  forth  things 


615846 


iv  PREFACE. 

as  they  actually  were ;  we  shall  interpret  and  explain  the 
Agrowhada^pariikchai,  which  is  the  philosophical  com- 
pendium of  the  Hindu  spiritists  ;  we  shall  tell  what  we 
saw  with  our  own  eyes,  and  shall  faithfully  record  such 
explanations  as  we  received  from  the  Brahmins. 

We  shall  pay  particular  attention  to  the  phenomena 
which  the  Fakirs  produce  at  will,  which  some  regard  as 
the  manifestations  of  a  superior  intervention,  and  others 
look  upon  as  the  result  of  a  shrewd  charlatanism. 

Upon  this  point  we  have  but  a  word  to  say. 

The  facts  which  are  simply  magnetic  are  indisputable, 
extraordinary  as  they  may  seem. 

As  to  the  facts  which  are  purely  spiritual,  we  were  only 
able  to  explain  those  in  which  we  participated,  either  as 
actor  or  spectator,  upon  the  hypothesis  that  we  were  the 
victims  of  hallucination — unless  we  are  willing  to  admit 
that  there  was  an  occult  intervention. 

We  shall  describe  things  just  as  we  saw  them,  without 
taking  sides  in  the  dispute. 

These  doctrines  were  known  to  the  Egyptians,  to  the 
Jewish  Cabalists,  to  the  people  of  Finland,  to  the  school 
of  Alexandria,  to  Philo  and  his  disciples,  to  the  Gauls  and 
to  the  early  Christians,  and,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Hindus, 
they  set  them  apart  for  the  use  of  those  who  had  been  ini- 
tiated. As  for  the  ancient  Chaldeans,  the  practice  of,  popu- 
lar magic  and  sorcery  seems  to  have  been  the  utmost  limit 
of  their  attainments  in  this  direction. 

They  have  also  given  birth  to  a  peculiar  system  of 
moral  philosophy,  whose  place  in  the  general  scale  of  the 
metaphysical  speculations  of  mankind  we  shall  take  occa- 
sion to  point  out. 


ON  the  erening  before  the  funeral  sraddha  is  to  take  place,  or  on  the 
day  itself,  he  who  gives  the  sraddha  should,  with  all  due  respect,  in- 
vite at  least  three  Brahmins,  such  as  those  which  have  been  already 
mentioned. 


The  Brahmin  who  has  been  invited  to  the  sraddha  of  the  spirit  of  the 
deceased  should  be  entire  master  of  his  senses.  He  should  not  read  the 
sacred  Scriptures,  but  only  recite,  in  a  low  tone,  the  invocations  which 
it  is  his  office  to  utter,  as  he  should  do,  likewise,  by  whom  the  ceremony 
is  performed. 


The  ancestral  spirits,  in  the  invisible  state,  accompany  the  Brahmins  who 
have  been  invited;  they  go  with  them,  under  an  aerial  form,  and  occupy  a 
place  by  their  side  when  they  sit  down.  —  (MANU,  book  hi.,  slocas  187- 
188-189.) 


For  a  long  time  previous  to  their  laying  aside  their  mortal  envelope, 
the  souls  which  have  practised  virtue,  like  those  which  inhabit  the 
bodies  of  Sanyassis  and  Vanasprathas—  Anchorites  and  Cenobite*  —  ac- 
quire the  faculty  of  conversing  with  souls  that  have  gone  before  to  tlie 
swarga  ;  that  is  a  sign  that  the  series  of  their  transmigrations  upon  earth 
is  ended.—  (The  words  of  the  ancient  Bagavatta,  quoted  in  the  Proem  of 
the  Agrouchada-Parikchai.) 


FIRST  PART. 


THE   DOCTKINE    OF   THE   PITRIS  AND  THE 
OCCULT  SCIENCES  IN  INDIA. 


Remember,  my  son,  that  there  is  only  one  God,  the  sovereign 
master  and  principle  of  all  things,  and  that  the  Brahmins  should 
worship  Him  in  secret ;  but  learn  also  that  this  is  a  mystery,  which 
should  never  be  revealed  to  the  vulgar  herd: — otherwise  great  harm 
may  befal  you. — (.Words  spoken  by  the  Brahmins  upon  receiving  a 
candidate  for  initiation  according  to  Vrihaspati. ) 


A 

CREATION 


U  M 

PRESERVATION  TRANSFORMATION 


*ny<Lj&£t' 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 


I. 

SPIEITISM. 


CHAPTEK  I. 

THE   INITIATED   AT   THE   ANCIENT   TEMPLES. 

IT  is  not  to  the  religious  writings  of  antiquity,  such  a& 
the  Yedas,  the  Zend-Avesta,  or  the  Bible,  that  we  are  to 
look  for  an  accurate  expression  of  the  highest  thought  of 
the  period. 

Written  to  be  read,  or  rather  chanted,  in  the  temples, 
upon  great  festivals,  and  framed  mainly  with  a  view  to 
priestly  domination,  these  books  of  the  law  were  not  in- 
tended to  make  known  to  common  people  the  secrets  of  a 
science  which  occupies  the  leisure  moments  of  the  priests 
and  initiated. 

"  Bear  in  mind,  my  son,"  said  the  Hindu  Brahmin  to 
the  neophyte,  "  that  there  is  but  one  God,  the  sovereign 
master  and  principle  of  all  things,  and  that  every  Brahmin 
should  worship  him  in  secret.  Learn  also  that  this  is  a 
mystery  which  should  never  be  revealed  to  the  vulgar 
herd ;  otherwise  great  harm  may  befal  you." 

We  constantly  meet  with  a  similar  prohibition  in  Ma- 
nu. 


14  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

The  primitive  Iwly  syllable,  composed  of  the  three  let- 
ters A,  U,  M,  and  comprising  the  Vedic  trinity,  should  be 
kept  secret  (Manu,  book  xi.,  sloca  265). 

These  three  letters  symbolize  all  the  initiatory  secrets 
of  the  occult  sciences. 

The  Turnover,  or  primordial  germ,  is  defined  in  the  Zend- 
Avesta  as  follows : 

"The  pure,  the  holy,  the  prompt  Honover,  I  tell  you 
plainly,  O  wise  Zoroaster !  existed  before  the  sky,  before 
the  sea,  before  the  earth,  before  the  animals,  before  the 
trees,  before  fire,  son  of  Ormuzd,  before  the  pure  man, 
before  the  deous,  before  the  whole  world ;  it  existed  be- 
fore there  was  any  substance  " — should  it  not  be  explained, 
in  its  essence,  to  the  magi  alone  ?  The  common  people 
cannot  even  know  of  the  existence  of  this  venerated  name 
under  penalty  of  death  or  madness. 

The  ancient  Cabalists  received  a  similar  prohibition  in 
the  following  passage  from  the  Mishna : 

"  It  is  forbidden  to  explain  the  history  of  creation  to  two 
persons :  or  even  the  history  of  the  Mercaba — or,  the  his- 
tory of  the  chariot,  treating  of  the  attributes  of  the  unre- 
vealed  being — to  one  alone,  unless  he  is  a  wise  and  intelli- 
gent man,  in  which  case  it  is  permitted  to  intrust  to  him 
the  headings  of  the  chapters." 

We  are  indebted  to  Mr.  A.  Frank,  of  the  Institute,  the 
eminent  Hebraist,  for  an  explanation  of  this  curious  pass- 
age of  the  Jewish  Cabala.  It  will  be  seen  that  he  confirms 
the  opinion  that  we  have  just  expressed,  that  an  accurate 
interpretation  of  the  beliefs  of  the  sacerdotal  castes  and  of 
the  initiated,  is  not  to  be  found  in  the  works  the  multitude 
were  allowed  to  see. 

"  Evidently  this  cannot  refer  to  the  text  of  Genesis,  or 
that  of  Ezekiel,  where  the  prophet  describes  the  vision 
he  saw  upon  the  banks  of  the  Chebar." 

"  The  whole  Scriptures,  so  to  speak,  were  in  every  body's 
mouth.  From  time  immemorial,  the  most  scrupulous  ob- 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  15 

servers  of  tradition  had  deemed  it  their  duty  to  go  through 
it,  at  least  once  a  year,  in  the  temple.  Moses  himself  is 
constantly  recommending  the  study  of  the  law,  by  which 
he  always  means  the  Pentateuch.  Esdras,  after  the  return 
from  the  Babylonish  captivity,  read  it  aloud  before  the 
assembled  people.  The  prohibition,  which  we  have  just 
quoted,  cannot  possibly  refer  to  the  history  of  the  creation 
or  to  EzekieFs  vision,  which  any  one  might  seek  to  ex- 
plain himself,  or  to  interpret  to  others.  It  refers  to  an 
interpretation,  or  rather  to  a  known,  secretly  taught  doc- 
trine— to  a  science,  whose  forms,  as  well  as  principles,  were 
fixed,  since  we  know  how  it  was  divided  and  that  it  was 
separated  into  chapters,  each  of  which  was  preceded  by  a 
heading.  ISTow,  it  is  to  be  noted  that  EzekiePs  vision 
is  totally  unlike  this ;  it  contains  a  single  chapter  and  not 
several — the  first  one  in  the  works  attributed  to  that 
prophet." 

We  see  also  that  this  secret  doctrine  contains  two  parts, 
which  are  not  considered  equally  important,  for  one  could 
be  taught  to  two  persons,  while  the  whole  of  the  other 
coul.d  never  be  divulged  to  any  one  person,  even  in  case  of 
compliance  with  the  severity  of  the  required  conditions. 

If  we  are  to  believe  Maimonides,  who  was  a  stranger  to 
the  Cabala,  though  he  could  not  deny  its  existence,  the 
first  half,  entitled  The  History  of  the  Genesis  or  Creation, 
taught  the  science  of  nature.  The  second,  entitled  Mercdba 
or  the  history  of  the  chariot,  contained  a  treatise  on  the- 
ology. This  is  the  accepted  opinion  of  all  Cabalists. 

Here  is  another  fact  which  shows  the  same  thing,  not 
less  conclusively. 

"  The  Kabbi  Jochanan  said,  one  day,  to  the  Kabbi  Eli- 
ezer:  'Let  me  teach  you  the  Mercaba.'  The  latter  an- 
swered him :  '  I  am  not  old  enough  for  that/  When  he 
had  grown  old,  the  Rabbi  Jochanan  died,  and  after  a  while 
the  Rabbi  Assi  came  in  his  turn  :  '  Let  me  teach  you  the 
Mercaba,'  said  he ;  he  replied :  '  If  I  had  thought  myself 


16  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

worthy,  I  would  already  have  learned  it  from  the  Eabbi 
Jochanan,  your  master.' ); 

This  shows  that,  in  order  to  be  initiated  into  the  mys- 
terious  science  of  the  Mereaba,  an  eminent  position  and 
exalted  intellect  were  not  all  that  were  required.  The 
candidate  must  also  have  reached  a  certain  age,  and  even 
when  that  condition,  which  is  also  observed  by  modern 
Cabalists,  had  been  complied  with,  he  did  not  always 
feel  sure  of  possessing  intellect  or  moral  strength  enough 
to  assume  the  burden  of  the  fearful  secrets,  which  might 
endanger  his  religious  convictions  and  the  material  observ- 
ances of  the  law. 

Here  is  a  curious  example,  taken  from  the  Talmud  it- 
self, in  allegorical  terms,  of  which  it  afterward  gives  an 
explanation. 

According  to  the  teachings  of  the  masters,  there  were 
four  who  entered  into  the  garden  of  delights,  and  their 
names  are  as  follows :  Ben  Asai,  Ben  Zoma,  Acher,  and 
Kabbi  Akiba. 

Ben  Asaii  was  over-inquisitive  and  lost  his  life.  We 
may  apply  to  him  this  verse  of  Scripture :  What  a  pre- 
cious tiling  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  is  the  death  of  his 
saints. 

Ben  Zoma  also  looked,  but  he  lost  his  reason.  His  fate 
justifies  the  sage's  parable:  Did  you  find  honey?  eat 
enough  to  suffice  you,  for  fear  that  if  you  take  too  much 
your  stomach  may  reject  it. 

Acher  committed  ravages  among  the  plants. 

Lastly,  Akiba  entered  quietly  and  came  out  quietly ; 
for  the  saint,  whose  name  be  blessed,  had  said :  "  Spare 
this  old  man  !  he  is  worthy  to  serve  with  glory." 

It  is  hardly  possible  to  construe  this  passage  literally,  or 
to  suppose  that  it  refers  to  a  material  vision  of  the  splen- 
dors of  another  life,  for  there  is  no  example  in  the  Talmud 
of  the  use  of  the  very  mystical  language  here  employed — 
as  applied  to  paradise.  How  can  we  allow,  besides3  that 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  17 

the  contemplation,  during  life,  of  the  powers  who  wait 
upon  the  elect  in  heaven,  should  have  caused  the  loss  of 
life  or  reason,  as  in  the  case  of  two  of  the  persons  men- 
tioned in  this  legend. 

We  agree,  with  the  most  esteemed  authorities  of  the 
synagogue,  that  the  garden  of  delights,  which  the  four 
doctors  entered,  was  merely  that  mysterious  science  before 
spoken  of — "  terrible  for  weak  intellects,  since  it  often  leads 
to  insanity." 

We  have  a  reason  for  giving  this  long  extract  in  full ; 
apart  from  the  support  it  lends  to  our  theory,  it  enables 
us  to  show  the  intimate  connection  that  exists  between  the 
doctrines  of  the  ancient  Jewish  Cabalists  and  those  of  the 
Hindu  votaries  of  the  Pitris — or  spirits.  The  latter,  in- 
deed, as  we  shall  soon  see,  only  admitted  old  men  to  initi- 
ation, and  their  scientific  book,  the  Agrouchada-parikchai, 
as  well  as  the  books  of  the  early  cabalists — The  Account  of 
the  Creation  and  the  Mercaba,  and  finally,  The  Zohar — is 
divided  into  three  parts,  treating : 

First.— Of:  the  attributes  of  God. 

Second. — Of  the  world. 

Third. — Of  the  human  soul. 

In  a  fourth  part,  the  Agrouchada-parikchai  sets  forth 
the  relations  of  universal  souls  to  each  other,  and  indicates 
the  modes  of  evocation  by  means  whereof  the  Fitris  may 
be  induced  to  manifest  themselves  to  men,  and  teach  them 
everlasting  truth,  according  to  the  higher  or  lower  degree  of 
perfection  to  which  they  may,  individually,  have  attained 
through  their  good  works. 

The  works  of  the  Jewish  Cabala,  and  especially  the  Zo- 
har, do  not  contain  this  fourth  part.  (Not  that  the  Cabalists 
deny  that  these  disembodied  souls  can  enter  into  relations 
with  those  souls  which  have  not  yet  laid  aside  their  fleshly 
envelope.)  The  evocation  of  the  soul  of  Samuel,  by  the 
witch  of  Endor  in  the  presence  of  Saul,  as  well  as  of 
numerous  other  biblical  apparitions,  are  sufficient  to  show 


18  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

that  the  belief  existed.  But  they  made  it  the  subject  of 
an  initiation,  and  these  terrible  secrets  were  only  taught 
by  word  of  mouth  in  the  mysterious  recesses  of  the  tem- 
ples. 

It  was  not  the  study  of  God  or  the  world  which  drove 
weak  intellects  into  madness,  as  mentioned  in  that  passage 
of  the  Talmud  before  spoken  of,  but  rather  the  cabalistic 
practice  of  evocation  in  the  supreme  initiation. 

" "Whoever,"  says  the  Talmud,  "has  learned  this  secret 
aixd  keeps  it  vigilantly,  in  a  pure  heart,  may  reckon  upon 
the  love  of  God  and  the  favor  of  men ;  his  name  inspires 
respect ;  his  science  is  in  no  danger  of  being  forgotten,  and 
he  is  the  heir  of  two  worlds — that  we  live  in,  and  the  world 
to  come." 

How  can  we  know  the  secrets  of  the  world  to  come,  ex- 
cept by  communicating  with  those  who  live  there  already. 

We  shall  see  that  the  Zohar  of  the  Cabalists,  and  the 
Agroucliada-parikchai  of  the  Hindus,  profess  the  same 
ideas  as  to  the  primordial  germ  or  God,  the  world  and  the 
soul.  We  incline,  therefore,  to  the  belief  that  we  are  cor- 
rect in  thinking  that  the  practises  openly  taught  by  the 
Hindus,  were  also  taught,  so  to  speak,  by  word  of  mouth, 
by  the  ancient  Thanaims  of  Judaism. 

We  find  Indian  pagodas,  indeed,  where  the  fourth  part 
of  the  Agrouchada  is  separated  from  the  three  others,  and 
forms,  so  to  speak,  a  book  by  itself,  which  would  lead  to 
the  supposition  that  it  was  revealed  last  and  only  to  a  small 
number  of  adepts. 

We  may  add  that  the  Cabalists  of  Judea  and  the  votaries 
of  the  Pitris  in  India,  used  the  same  expression  to  desig- 
nate the  adepts  of  the  occult  sciences : 

"He  has  entered  the  garden  of  delights" 

No  doctrinal  work  upon  these  matters  has  come  down 
to  us  from  the  Egyptians  or  the  ancient  Chaldeans,  but  the 
fragmentary  inscriptions  we  do  possess  show  that  a  higher 
initiation  also  existed  among  both.  The  great  name,  the 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  19 

mysterious  name,  the  supreme  name,  which  was  known 
only  to  Ed,  was  never  to  be  uttered. 

Thus,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  initiation  in  ancient 
times  did  not  consist  of  a  knowledge  of  the  great  religious 
works  of  the  age,  such  as  the  Vedas,  the  Zend-Avesta,  the 
Bible,  etc.,  which  everybody  studied,  but  rather  of  the 
admission  of  a  small  number  of  priests  and  savants  to  an 
occult  science,  which  had  its  genesis,  its  theology,  its  phil- 
osophy, and  its  peculiar  practices,  which  it  was  forbidden 
to  reveal  to  the  vulgar  herd. 

India  has  preserved  all  the  manuscript  treasures  of  its 
primitive  civilization.  The  initiated  have  never  abandoned 
any  of  their  old  beliefs  or  practices. 

It  is,  therefore,  in  our  power  to  lift  the  veil  completely 
from  the  Brahminic  initiations. 

After  comparing  the  philosophical  doctrines  of  the  adepts 
of  the  Pitris  with  those  of  the  Jewish  Cabalists,  we  shall 
go  on  to  show  the  relations  or  connection  between  the 
initiated  of  other  nations  and  the  initiated  of  the  Hindu 
pagodas. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE   BRAHMINS. 

Before  touching  upon  the  main  point  of  our  subject,  it 
may  not  be  amiss  to  say  a  few  words  about  the  Brahmins. 
"We  do  not  propose,  however,  to  raise  the  question  of  their 
real  origin,  which  has  been  the  subject  of  so  much  scientific 
controversy.  According  to  some,  who  have  certain  ethno- 
logical theories  of  their  own  to  support,  they  came  from 
the  sterile  and  desolate  plains,  which  extend  from  the 
eastern  shore  of  the  Caspian  Sea  to  the  banks  of  the  Oxus. 
According  to  others,  who  agree  with  the  sacred  books  and 
pundits  of  India  upon  that  point,  they  originated  in  the 
country  comprised  between  the  Ganges  and  the  Indus  on 
the  one  side  and  the  Godavery  and  the  Kristnah  on  the 
other.  With  regard  to  the  former  hypothesis  we  have 
said  elsewhere,1  "  Such  a  theory  seems  singular,  to  say  the 
least,  when  it  is  known  that  this  country,  which  is  held 
out  to  us  as  the  cradle  of  the  ancient  Hindu  race,  does  not 
possess  a  ruin,  a  tradition,  a  trace,  which  can  furnish  an 
ethnological  foundation  for  such  an  opinion.  This  land, 
which  is  said  to  have  produced  the  most  astonishing  civil- 
ization of  ancient  times,  has  not  a  monument  or  tradition 
of  any  sort  to  show  for  itself.  It  would  be  quite  as 
logical,  indeed,  to  make  the  Aryans  or  Brahmins  originate 
in  the  sandy  deserts  of  Sahara." 

******* 

According  to  the  second  theory,  the   Brahmins  came 

1  The  Genesis  of  Humanity. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN  INDIA.  21 

originally  from  the  plains  of  Central  Hindustan.  This 
opinion  has  historic  and  geographical  truth  in  its  favor,  as 
well  as  the  authority  of  all  the  learned  pundits  and  of 
Manu,  whose  celebrated  words  are  well  known  : 

"  Courouckchetra,  Matsya,  and  the  land  of  Boutchala, 
which  is  also  called  Cauya-Cobja  (the  Mountain  of  the 
Virgin),  and  Souraswaca,  also  called  Mathoura,  form  the 
country  adjacent  to  that  of  Brahmavarta,  the  country  of 
virtuous  men,  or,  in  other  words,  of  the  Brahmins." 

These  countries  are  included  in  the  quadrilateral  formed 
by  the  four  rivers  just  named.  We  shall  not  dwell  upon 
this  point  further,  however,  as  it  is  not  our  intention  to 
discuss  ethnological  problems  in  the  present  work,  but 
rather  to  set  forth  and  elucidate  religious  conceptions. 

Manu,  the  legislator,  who  sprang  from  the  Temples  of 
India,  attributes  to  the  Brahmins  a  Divine  origin. 


# 

*  -X- 


For  the  propagation  of  the  human  race,  from 
from  his  arm,  from  his  thigh,  from  his  foot,  the  Sovereign 
Master  produced  the  Brahmin,  priest —  the  Xchatrya, 
king — the  Yaysia,  merchant — the  Soudra,  slave. 


By  his  origin,  which  he  derives  from  the  most  noble 
member,  because  he  was  the  first-born,  because  he  pos- 
sesses the  Holy  Scriptures,  the  Brahmin  is,  by  right,  the 
Lord  of  all  creation. 


Everything  that  the  world  contains  is  the  Brahmin's 
property  ;  by  his  primogeniture  and  his  eminent  birth,  he 
is  entitled  to  everything  that  exists. 

•x- 

The  Brahmin  eats  nothing  that  does  not  belong  to  him, 
receives  no  garment  that  is  not  already  his,  and  bestows 


22  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

no  alms  from  the  property  of  others  that  does  not  also 
belong  to  him.  It  is  through  the  Brahmin's  generosity 
that  other  men  enjoy  the  goods  of  this  world.  (Manu, 
book  i.) 

This  is  the  original  source  of  the  doctrine  of  divine  right. 

For  several  thousand  years  the  Brahmins  (priests)  ruled 
over  India  without  dispute.  The  kings,  or,  as  we  might 
rather  say,  the  chiefs,  were  only  their  agents.  The  mass 
of  the  people,  like  a  flock  of  sheep,  maintained  the  upper 
classes  in  luxury  and  idleness  by  their  labor. 

In  the  temples,  which  were  vast  sacerdotal  storehouses 
filled  with  the  treasures  accumulated  by  the  toil  of  the 
laboring  classes,  the  priests  appeared  before  the  eyes  of  the 
assembled  multitude,  clad  in  gorgeous  vestments.  Kneel- 
ing before  idols  of  wood,  granite,  or  bronze,  of  their  own 
contrivance,  they  set  an  example  of  the  most  absurd  super- 
stitution.  Their  principal  motive  in  the  performance  of 
their  religious  duties  was  the  maintenance  of  their  tem- 
poral supremacy,  and  when  the  sacrifices  were  over,  the 
Yaysia  and  Soudra  returned  to  their  tasks,  the  chiefs 
to  their  pleasures,  and  the  priests  to  their  mysterious 
abodes,  where  they  engaged  in  the  study  of  the  sciences 
and  of  the  highest  philosophical  and  religious  specula- 
tions. 

The  hour  came  when  the  Xchatrias,  or  kings,  made  use 
of  the  people  to  throw  off  the  theocratic  yoke,  but  when 
they  had  conquered  the  priests,  and  assumed  the  title  of 
Lords  of  Creation,  they  abandoned  their  late  allies,  and 
said  to  the  Brahmins : 

"  Preach  to  the  people  the  doctrine  that  we  are  the  elect 
of  God,  and  we  will  give  you  all  the  wealth  and  privileges 
you  desire." 

That  was  the  basis  of  their  agreement,  and  for  twenty 
thousand  years  and  more  the  Soudra,  the  servum  pecus, 
the  people,  have  never  been  able  to  break  it  up. 

Reduced  to  a  purely  religious  role,  the  Brahmins  used 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IK   INDIA.  23 

all  their  power  to  keep  the  multitude  in  ignorance  and 
subserviency.  Mistrustful  lest  some  members  of  their  order 
more  ambitious  than  the  rest  might,  one  day  or  other,  seek 
to  further  their  own  ends  by  stirring  up  the  lower  classes 
to  revolt,  they  placed  the  secret  of  their  religious  belief, 
of  their  principles,  of  their  sciences,  under  the  shield  of 
an  initiatory  ceremony,  to  the  highest  grade  of  which 
those  only  were  admitted  who  had  completed  a  novitiate  of 
forty  years  of  passive  obedience. 

There  were  three  degrees  of  initiation. 

The  first  included  all  the  Brahmins  of  the  popular  cult, 
or  those  who  officiated  at  the  pagodas,  whose  business  it 
was  to  work  upon  the  credulity  of  the  multitude.  They 
were  taught  to  comment  upon  the  three  first  books  of  the 
Vedas,  to  direct  the  religious  ceremonies,  and  to  perform 
sacrifices.  The  Brahmins  of  the  first  degree  were  in  con- 
stant communication  with  the  people.  They  were  its  im- 
mediate directors,  its  gurus. 

The  second  degree  included  the  exorcists,  the  soothsayers, 
the  prophets,  and  the  evocators  of  spirits,  whose  business 
it  was,  in  times  of  difficulty,  to  act  upon  the  imagination 
of  the  masses,  through  supernatural  phenomena.  They 
read  and  commented  upon  the  Atharva-Yeda,  which  was 
a  collection  of  magical  conjurations. 

In  the  third  degree  the  Brahmins  had  no  direct  relations 
with  the  populace,  the  study  of  all  the  physical  and  super- 
natural forces  of  the  universe  being  their  only  occupation. 
They  never  appeared  outside  except  through  awe-inspiring 
phenomena,  which  spectators  were  not  allowed  to  scru- 
tinize too  closely.  According  to  the  celebrated  Sanscrit 
sorits,  the  gods  and  spirits  were  at  their  disposition : 

Devadinam  djagat  sarvam. 
JUantradinam  ta  devata. 
Tan  mantram  l)rahmanadinam. 
Brahmana  mama  devata. 


24  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

Everything  that  exists  is  in  the  power  of  the  gods. 
The  gods  are  in  the  power  of  magical  conjurations. 
Magical  conjurations  are  in  the  power  of  the  Brahmins. 
Therefore,  the  gods  are  in  the  power  of  the  Brahmins. 


It  was  impossible  to  arrive  at  the  highest  degree  without 
having  passed  through  the  first  two,  where  a  process  of 
weeding,  as  it  were,  was  constantly  going  on,  having  re- 
gard to  the  ability  and  intelligence  of  the  candidates. 

It  would  have  been  impossible  to  conceive  of  a  more 
effective  instrument  of  social  conservatism,  and  our  modern 
doctrinaires  may  well  regard  it  with  a  jealous  eye. 

Those  who  were  too  intelligent,  or  who  were  not  suffi- 
ciently amenable  to  discipline,  owing  to  their  inflexibility 
of  character,  were  soon  lost  amid  the  crowd  of  bigots  and 
fanatics  of  the  first  degree,  who  were  as  submissive  and 
free  from  ambition  as  could  possibly  be  desired.  The 
lower  clergy,  if  we  may  be  allowed  to  use  the  expression, 
were  not  much  above  the  level  of  the  rest  of  the  Hindu 
people,  whose  superstitions  they  shared,  and  whom  they 
taught,  perhaps,  honestly.  Absorbed  in  the  ordinary  ob- 
servances of  religious  worship,  that  independence  of  mind 
which  usually  accompanies  knowledge  was  not  to  be  appre- 
hended from  them.  It  was  not  until  twenty  years  had 
elapsed  that  promotion  was  possible  from  the  first  to  the 
second  degree,  where  the  veil  of  the  occult  sciences  first 
began  to  be  uplifted,  and  the  same  period  of  time  was 
necessary  in  order  to  surmount  the  mysterious  barriers  of 
the  third  degree.  That  class  of  initiates  studied  the 
Agrouchada-Parikckai)  or  the  Book  of  Spirits. 

Above  this  last  degree  of  initiation  was  the  Supreme 
Council,  under  the  presidency  of  the  Brahmatma,  or  su- 
preme chief  of  all  those  who  had  been  initiated. 

Only  a  Brahmin  who  had  passed  his  eightieth  year 
could  exercise  this  pontificate.  He  was  the  sole  keeper  of 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  25 

the  elevated  formula,  which  included  a  summary  of  all 
knowledge,  and  was  contained  in  the  three  mystic  letters — 

A 

U         M 

• — signifying  Creation,  Preservation,  Transformation.  He 
commented  upon  them  only  in  the  presence  of  the  initiate. 

Residing  in  an  immense  palace,  surrounded  by  twenty- 
one  walls,  the  Brahmatma  showed  himself  to  the  multi- 
tude only  once  a  year,  encompassed  with  such  pomp  and 
pageantry  that  his  apppearance  impressed  the  imagination 
of  all  who  saw  him,  as  though  they  had  been  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a  God. 

The  common  people  thought  that  he  was  immortal. 

In  fact,  in  order  to  maintain  this  belief  in  the  minds  of 
the  masses,  the  death  of  the  Brahmatma  and  the  election 
of  his  successor  were  kept  profoundly  secret,  and  were 
never  known  by  them.  Everything  occurred  in  the  si- 
lence of  the  temples,  and  those  who  had  been  initiated  in 
the  third  degree  alone  took  part  in  his  election.  Only 
those  who  were  members  of  the  Supreme  Council  were 
eligible. 

"  Whoever  among  those  who  have  been  initiated  into 
the  third  degree  shall  reveal  to  a  profane  person  a  single 
one  of  the  truths,  a  single  one  of  the  secrets  entrusted  to 
his  keeping,  shall  be  put  to  death."  J  The  recipient  of  the 
revelation  met  a  similar  fate. 

Finally,  to  crown  the  whole  system,  there  existed  a 
higher  word  than  the  mysterious  monosyllable  A,  U,  M — 
which  made  him  who  possessed  the  clue  to  it,  almost 
equal  to  Brahma  himself.  The  Brahmatma  alone  pos- 
sessed it  and  transmitted  it  to  his  successor  in  a  sealed 
box. 

Even  now,  when  the  Brahminic  authority  has  sunk  so 

1  The  Sons  of  God. 


26  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

low  before  Mongol  and  European  invasion ;  when  every 
pagoda  has  its  Brahmatma ;  this  unknown  word  has  been 
revealed  to  no  human  power,  and  has  been  kept  a  pro- 
found secret.  It  was  engraved  in  a  golden  triangle  and 
carefully  kept  in  a  sanctuary  of  the  Temple  of  Asgartha, 
of  which  the  Brahmatma  alone  had  the  keys.  For  this 
reason,  also,  he  wore,  upon  his  tiara,  two  crossed  keys  up- 
held by  two  kneeling  Brahmins,  as  a  sign  of  the  precious 
deposit  which  had  been  entrusted  to  his  care. 

This  word  and  triangle  were  also  engraved  upon  the 
gem  of  the  ring,  which  this  religious  chief  wore  as  a  sign  of 
his  dignity.  It  was  also  set  in  a  golden  sun,  which  stood 
upon  the  altar  upon  which  the  supreme  pontiff  offered 
every  morning  the  sacrifice  of  the  Sarvameda,  or  sacrifice 
to  all  the  forces  of  nature. 

At  the  death  of  the  Brahmatma,  his  body  was  burned 
upon  a  golden  tripod  and  his  ashes  secretly  thrown  into 
the  Ganges.  If,  in  spite  of  every  precaution,  a  report  of 
his  death  was  bruited  abroad,  the  priests  adroitly  spread 
abroad  the  rumor  that  the  supreme  chief  had  ascended  for 
a  time  to  Swarga  (heaven)  in  the  smoke  of  the  sacrifice, 
but  would  soon  return  to  the  earth. 

Numerous  revolutions  have  so  thoroughly  disturbed  the 
social  and  religious  condition  of  India,  that  Brahminism 
no  longer  possesses  any  supreme  chief.  Each  pagoda  has 
its  three  degrees  of  initiation,  and  its  own  private  Brah- 
matma. The  chiefs  of  these  temples  are  often  at  open 
hostility  with  each  other.  However,  this  does  not  seem 
to  have  affected  their  religious  belief,  as  yet,  and  we  shall 
see,  as  we  study  the  methods  in  use  in  the  three  different 
classes  of  initiation,  that  the  Hindu  Brahmins  still  cling 
to  their  old  religious  prescriptions. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE   BRAHMIN — FROM    HIS    BIRTH   TO    HIS   NOVITIATE — 
THE    CEREMONY   OF   THE   DJTTA  CARMA. 

When  a  Brahmin's  wife  has  given  birth  to  a  son,  her 
husband  is  careful  to  note  upon  his  tablets  the  hour,  the 
day,  the  year,  and  the  epoch,  of  the  occurrence,  together 
with  the  stars  under  whose  auspices  the  child  has  just  been 
born. 

He  carries  this  information  to  the  astronomer  of  the 
pagoda,  who  casts  the  horoscope  of  the  new-born  child. 
Nine  days  thereafter  a  stand  is  erected  and  decorated  with 
flowers  and  foliage,  upon  which  the  mother  takes  her  seat, 
with  the  boy  in  her  arms. 

An  officiating  Pourohita,  or  Brahmin  belonging  to  the 
first  class  of  initiation,  then  performs  the  poudja,  or  sacri- 
fice to  Yischnou,  in  front  of  the  stand.  He  pours  a  little 
lustral  water  upon  the  child's  head,  and  into  the  hollow  of 
the  hands  of  the  father  and  mother,  who  drink  it,  and  then 
he  sprinkles  all  those  present  with  the  same  liquid. 

The  father  then  brings  a  dish  of  earthenware,  bronze, 
or  silver,  according  to  his  means,  upon  which  is  a  little 
betel,  and  a  present  for  the  Pourohita. 

By  this  ceremony  the  child  is  purified  from  all  the 
uncleanness  attached  to  his  birth. 

From  this  time,  the  mother,  who  since  her  confinement, 
has  stayed  in  a  separate  room,  is  obliged  to  live  ten  days 
longer  by  herself  in  a  retired  place,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  she  is  allowed  to  go  to  the  temple,  to  purify  herself 
from  her  uncleanness. 


28  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  a  simi- 
lar custom  in  such  cases  prevailed  among  the  Jews. 

The  Ceremony  of  the  Nahma-  Carma. 

Twelve  days  afterward  the  ceremony  of  the  giving  of 
the  name,  or  of  the  Nahma-Carma,  as  it  was  called,  took 
place. 

The  house  was  decorated  as  if  for  a  festival,  and  all  the 
relatives  and  friends  of  the  Brahmin  caste  alone  were  in- 
vited. 

The  father,  after  performing  an  oblation  to  the  fire  and 
the  nine  principal  divinities  which  rule  the  planets,  trans- 
cribed with  a  brush  upon  a  wooden  tablet  the  horoscope  of 
his  son,  which  was  cast  at  the  pagoda,  with  the  name  that 
he  proposed  to  give  him. 

He  then  uttered  three  times  in  a  loud  voice  the  name 
which  he  had  just  written,  which  all  present  repeated  after 
him.  He  closed  with  the  following  words : 

"Blessed  be  the  name  of  Brahma.  This  is  my  son 
and  his  name  is  Narayana  [or  any  other  name].  Listen 
attentively  in  order  that  you  may  remember  it." 

He  then  went  out  of  the  house  at  the  head  of  a  proces- 
sion consisting  of  all  his  guests,  and  planted  in  his  garden, 
or  in  front  of  the  dwelling,  a  cocoanut,  tamarind,  or  palm 
tree,  according  to  the  section  of  country  where  he  re- 
sided, saying: 

"  In  the  name  of  the  powerful  and  just  Brahma,  all  you 
who  are  here  present,  bear  this  in  mind.  This  tree  is 
planted  on  Narayana's  name-day,  in  the  thirty-fifth  year 
of  the  fifth  lunar  century  of  the  third  divine  epoch"  (or  any 
given  date). 

This,  as  the  reader  will  understand,  is  given  merely  as 
a  matter  of  form. 

At  the  close  of  the  ceremony,  a  grand  feast  is  given,  of 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  29 

which  all  present  partake.  Previous  to  their  departure, 
the  father  presents  to  each  a  cup  of  cedar-  or  sandal-wood, 
upon  which  is  engraved  the  horoscope,  or  more  generally 
the  monogram  of  the  child. 

The  object  of  this  present  is  to  furnish  evidence,  in  case 
any  dispute  should  thereafter  arise  as  to  the  legitimacy  of 
the  child's  birth.  When  summoned  as  witnesses  before 
the  caste  tribunal,  the  guests  appear  with  their  cups  in 
their  hands,  and  testify  as  follows : 

"  In  the  name  of  the  powerful  and  just  Brahma ;  the 
words  which  proceed  from  my  mouth  are  strictly  true. 
This  cup  was  given  to  me  by  Covinda,  on  Naray ana's 
name-day,  in  the  thirty-fifth  year  of  the  fifth  lunar  cen- 
tury of  the  third  divine  epoch.  There  can  be  no  doubt 
that  Narayana  is  the  son  of  Covinda." 

The  Pourohita,  or  Brahmin  who  is  present  at  the  cere- 
mony, then  offers  a  sacrifice  to  the  Pitris,  or  ancestral 
spirits,  and  asks  them  to  protect  the  new-born  child. 

The  father  then  distributes  betel  among  the  guests  and 
makes  a  present  to  the  officiating  priest  according  to  his 
means. 

The  Ceremony  of  Anna-Prasscma. 

When  the  child  is  in  the  seventh  month  of  his  age,  rice 
is  given  him  to  eat  for  the  first  time.  This  festival  is 
called  the  Anna-Prassana. 

As  in  the  case  of  the  other  ceremonies  the  father  invites 
all  his  relative?  and  friends  and  sends  to  the  pagoda  for  a 
Brahmin  to  officiate.  After  a  general  bath  in  the  tank  of 
ablutions,  upon  which  the  Pourohita  has  scattered  a  few 
drops  of  lustral  water,  all  the  guests  take  their  seats  upon 
a  stand  decorated  with  branches  of  fruit-trees  in  full  bear- 
ing, and  the  priest  offers  a  sacrifice  to  the  lunar  spirits 
that  protect  the  family. 

Meanwhile,  the  women  sing  an  appropriate  psalm  and 


30  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

perform  the  ceremony  of  aratty  (which  has  the  property 
of  driving  away  evil  spirits)  above  the  child's  head  for  the 
first  time. 

The  priest  then  blesses  the  Brahminical  girdle  which  is  a 
sign  of  his  caste,  and  which  is  bound  around  the  child's 
loins  for  the  first  time.  A  little  boiled  rice  is  then  put  in 
his  mouth,  and  everybody  sits  down  to  the  repast. 

The  ceremony  terminates  with  the  distribution  of  betel 
and  a  present  to  the  officiating  priest. 

The  Ceremony  of  the  Tchaoula. 

"When  a  child  reaches  the  age  of  three  years,  the  cere- 
mony of  the  Tchaoula,  or  the  Tonsure,  is  performed. 

This  festival  is  much  more  solemn  than  the  preceding, 
for  the  child,  who  is  present,  is  able  for  the  first  time  to 
murmur  the  name  of  the  divinity,  as  well  as  the  names  of 
the  protecting  spirits  of  his  home  and  family. 

After  bathing  and  decorating  the  child  with  a  necklace 
and  bracelets  of  mingled  coral  and  sandal-wood  beads,  he 
is  led  beneath  a  pandal,  which  is  a  sort  of  dais  formed  of 
trees  procured  for  that  purpose  and  of  flowers  of  every 
description. 

He  is  surrounded  by  his  relatives  and  guests  and  the 
priest  offers  an  oblation  to  all  the  Pitris,  or  family  and 
ancestral  shades,  in  both  branches,  on  the  father's  and 
mother's  side. 

The  statue  of  Siva-Lingam,  the  image  of  perpetual 
fruitf ulness,  is  brought  in  covered  with  flowers  and  fruits. 

At  this  point  of  the  office  the  barber  commences.  After 
prostrating  himself  in  the  presence  of  the  god,  in  the  midst 
of  female  singing,  accompanied  by  the  musicians  from  the 
pagoda,  he  proceeds  to  shave  the  child's  head,  leaving  a 
small  lock  of  hair  on  the  back  part,  which  is  never  cut. 

During  this  operation  the  child's  female  relatives  per- 
form the  aratty  upon  the  heads  of  those  present,  in  order 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  31 

to  drive  away  evil  spirits,  and  everybody  preserves  a  re- 
ligious  silence. 

Having  finished  his  duties,  the  barber  retires  with  his 
pay,  which  consists  of  a  certain  quantity  of  rice,  and  the 
priest  cleanses  the  child  from  any  impurity  which  he  may 
have  derived  from  unclean  contact  with  the  barber. 

The  child's  toilet  is  then  made  anew,  and  after  a  fresh 
bath  in  the  sacred  tank  of  ablutions,  in  order  to  pro- 
pitiate all  the  spirits  and  genii  of  the  plants  to  which  that 
day  is  consecrated  the  ceremony  closes  as  before  with  a 
repast  and  presents. 

Until  the  age  of  nine  years  the  Brahmin  remains  in 
the  hands  of  the  women  until  the  term  for  commencing 
his  novitiate  arrives. 


CHAPTER  IY. 

THE  BRAHMIN — FROM  HIS  NOVITIATE  TO  HIS  RECEPTION  INTO 
THE   FIRST   DEGREE   OF   HIS   INITIATION. 

The  Ceremony  of  Oupanayana. 

[Taken  from  the  Nitia-Carma,  the  first  part  of  the 
Agrouchada-Parikchai,  or  book  of  the  occult  sciences  of 
the  Brahmins.] 

The  word  Oupanayana  signifies  introduction  to  the 
study  of  the  sciences.  "We  give  this  passage  of  the  Agrou- 
chada  in  the  form  of  verses,  as  it  was  written : 

It  is  now  time  for  the  virtuous  father,  who  possesses  a 
son  over  whose  head  has  rolled  three  times  three  years, 
the  figure  of  the  tutelary  spirits,  to  perform  the  ceremony 
of  the  Oupanayana. 

* 

*  # 

He  should  procure  vessels  of  gold,  silver,  bronze,  or 
earthenware,  according  to  his  means,  which  are  to  be 
distributed  to  the  Brahmins  after  the  repast. 

•* 

*  * 

He  should  lay  in  an  abundant  supply  of  rice,  seeds, 
fruit,  oil,  butter,  sugar,  vegetables,  and  milk,  for  he  has 
not  only  to  entertain  his  guests,  but  the  larger  part  should 
be  offered  as  an  oblation  to  the  Pitris,  or  set  apart  for  the 
poor  and  orphans. 

* 

*  * 

When  the  father  of  a  family  gives  food  to  the  suffering, 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  33 

to  returning  travellers,  to  pilgrims,  and  to  little  children 
who  look  in  curiously  at  the  feast  with  envious  eyes  as 
they  pass,  when,  like  a  sower,  he  scatters  outdoors  handfuls 
of  seeds  for  the  little  birds,  the  spirits  and  his  ancestral 
shades  are  content. 


The  festival  should  last  four  days,  and  new  vessels  and 
fresh  and  pure  provisions  should  be  used  daily. 

He  should  prepare  powdered  vermilion,  sandal-wood, 
and  saffron,  in  order  that  the  women  may  trace  magic 
circles  around  the  house  to  drive  away  evil  spirits  and  at- 
tract good  spirits. 

* 
#•       #• 

These  preparations  being  completed,  the  father  should 
ask  the  Pourohita  to  name  a  day  of  auspicious  omen.  It 
should  never  be  at  the  commencement  nor  at  the  end  of 
the  moon.  It  should  never  either  be  an  odd  day. 


The  pandal  should  then  be  erected  with  consecrated 
flowers  and  foliage,  among  which  the  lotus  flower  should 
predominate.  He  should  then  spread  upon  the  ground  a 
thick  layer  of  cousa  grass,  and  he  should  invite  his  rela- 
tives, commencing  with  those  in  the  ascending  line  on  the 
father's  side,  after  which  he  should  bid  his  friends  and  all 
Brahmins  who  have  reached  the  age  of  one  hundred  years. 


The  women  should  sumptuously  decorate  the  pandal 
with  hanging  garlands  and  bouquets  of  flowers  so  as  to 
form  alternate  bands  of  red  and  white. 


All  the  guests  before  going  to  the  place  where  the  cere- 


34          OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

mony  is  to  be  held,  should  perform  the  usual  purifications 
in  the  sacred  tank  of  the  pagoda. 


When  the  parents  and  friends  are  all  assembled  the 
Pourohita  should  be  introduced  with  all  due  marks  of  re- 
spect. He  should  bring  with  him  a  girdle  and  the  skin  of 
a  gazelle.  A  gazelle's  skin  is  always  pure,  and  he  who 
sits  thereon  does  not  contract  any  uncleanness. 

* 
#•       * 

The  Pourohita  should  then  perform  the  san-colpa,  or 
preparation  of  the  soul,  in  which  he  is  absorbed  in  the 
contemplation  of  Yischnou,  who  is  represented  as  the  au- 
thor and  preserver  of  the  universe. 


He  should  regard  him  as  a  distributor  of  every  favor, 
and  as  one  who  crowns  with  success  all  our  enterprises. 
With  this  view  he  should  pronounce  his  name  three  times 
and  offer  him  adoration. 


He  should  then  contemplate  the  infinite  perfection  of 
Brahma.  He  should  ponder  over  the  three  triads,1  which 
have  sprung  from  him,  and  have  created  the  eight  mil- 
lion four  hundred  thousand  kinds  of  living  creatures,  at 
the  head  of  which  is  man. 


He  should  then  ponder  over  the  existence  of  the  uni- 
verse, which  is  to  last  a  hundred  years  of  the  gods,2  which 
are  divided  into  four  periods,  of  which  the  first,  second, 
and  half  of  the  third  have  already  elapsed.  He  should 
then  perform  an  oblation  to  the  universe. 

1  Nara-Narl-Viradj  %*  Ayni-Voya-Sourya  *  Brahma  *  Vischnou-Siva. 
*  Each  year  of  the  gods  is  equal  to  several  thousands  of  the  lunar 
yews. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  35 

He  should  think  of  the  different  incarnations  of  Visch- 
nou,  and  of  that  of  the  boar  under  whose  form  the  god 
vanquished  the  giant  Hirannia. 


He  should  prostrate  himself  before  the  fourteen  cate- 
gories of  celestial  (Pitris)  and  inferior  spirits  by  which 
the  universe  is  filled. 

•x- 
*       * 

He  should  perform  an  oblation  to  the  pure  fluid  which 
is  called  Agasa,  and  which  is  the  essence  of  life. 


He  should  pronounce  the  mysterious  monosyllable  which 
was  to  be  kept  from  the  knowledge  of  the  multitude,  by 
merely  moving  his  lips. 

*  * 

He  should  offer  sacrifice  to  Swayambhouva,  the  self -ex- 
istent being. 

*  •* 

He  should  evoke  the  spirits  of  his  ancestors  and  ask 
them  to  be  present  at  the  ceremony. 

* 

*  # 

He  should  drive  away  all  evil  spirits  whose  presence 
might  otherwise  disturb  the  sacrifices. 

He  should  propitiate  the  superior  spirit  Poulear,  who 
presides  over  obstacles  and  brings  enterprises  to  a  success- 
ful issue. 

All  the  guests  should  repair  again  to  the  sacred  tank 
of  ablution,  where  they  purify  themselves  according  to  their 
method  prescribed. 


36  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

Upon  their  return  the  Brahmatchary,  or  neophyte, 
should  take  his  place  beneath  the  pandal  of  flowers,  and 
all  the  married  women  present  should  chant  consecrated 
psalms  and  at  the  same  time  anoint  his  limbs  with  per- 
fumed oil  and  saffron  and  rub  his  eyelids  with  antimony. 

* 

*  * 

When  his  toilet  is  finished  the  father  and  mother  of  the 
neophyte  should  take  their  place  by  his  side  beneath  the 
pandal,  and  the  women  should  perform  upon  their  heads 
the  ceremony  of  the  aratty,  in  order  to  remove  evil 

omens. 

•* 

*  •* 

The  Poiidja,  or  sacrifice,  is  then  offered  to  all  the  tute- 
lary spirits  of  the  family,  as  well  as  the  firstlings  of  all  the 
dishes  prepared  for  the  repast. 

•* 

*  * 

All  the  men  and  women  should  then  sit  down  on  cocoa- 
nut  leaves  covered  with  lotus  leaves,  and  should  turn  their 
backs  so  that  they  may  not  see  each  other  eat. 


Rice,  clarified  butter,  oil,  sugar,  fruits,  and  vegetables 
are  then  brought  in  for  the  feast,  and  at  the  close  of  the 
repast  the  father  distributes  betel  and  gives  a  present  to 
the  Pourohita,  after  which  everybody  retires. 

•3f 

*  * 

Such  was  the  first  day  of  the  Oupanayana. 

* 

*  •* 

The  next  day  was  called  Mouhourta,  or  the  great  day, 
for  it  was  that  on  which  the  neophyte  was  to  be  invested 

with  the  girdle. 

•* 

*  •* 

The  Brahmatchary  should  take  his  place  beneath  the 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  37 

pandal,  between   his  father  and    mother,  and  all  three 
should  turn  their  faces  toward  the  East. 


The  Brahmatchary  should  have  his  loins  girt  around 
with  new  linen  of  pure  material,  and  the  women  should 
gently  rub  his  chest  and  arms  with  the  powdered  saffron 
and  sandal-wood  mingled,  and  should  sing  consecrated 
psalms. 

•se- 
tt       *• 

The  Pourohita  should  then  advance  with  a  silver  fur- 
nace filled  with  burning  coals:  he  should  perform  the 
sacrifice  to  the  spirits,  by  evoking  them  around  the  fire, 
and  should  throw  incense  and  powdered  sandal-  wood  upon 
the  fire,  to  gratify  their  sense  of  smell. 


This  fire  should  be  carefully  kept  until  the  end  of  the 
festival  Oupanayana,  for  if  it  should  happen  to  be  extin- 
guished, great  harm  might  ensue,  and  the  familiar  spirits 
might  desert  the  house. 


The  preservation  of  this  fire  should  be  given  in  charge 
to  nine  Brahmins  and  their  wives. 


All  the  married  women  who  happen  to  be  among  the 
guests  should  go  in  great  pomp  to  the  consecrated  tank, 
preceded  by  musical  instruments,  and  bearing  a  copper 
vessel,  which  they  are  to  fill  with  water. 


Upon  their  return  to  the  house  they  should  cover  the 
mouth  of  the  vessel  with  mango  leaves,  and  hang  above  it 
a  branch  of  a  banana  tree,  freshly  cut,  with  all  its  fruits. 


38  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

They  should  all  then  go  together  to  the  neighboring 
forest,  where,  having  found  a  nest  of  white  ants,  they 
should  fill  ten  earthen  pots  with  earth  beaten  and  sifted 
by  these  animals. 

•*       •* 

Returning  then  to  the  other  guests,  they  should  plant 
in  these  pots  ten  different  kinds  of  seeds,  which  they 
should  sprinkle  with  water  taken  from  the  sacred  tank. 


When  this  has  been  done,  the  Pourohita  should  bring 
all  the  pots  together  and  stretch  over  them  a  fine  cloth  ; 
he  should  recite  the  invocation  to  the  tutelary  spirits  and 
ask  them  to  manifest  their  power  by  auspicious  omens. 


Imposing  his  hands  above  the  cloth,  he  should  then  pro- 
nounce in  a  low  voice,  unheard  by  those  present,  the  fol- 
lowing magic  words : 

Agnim-Pd-Pdtra. 
Parydya. 
Pardxa. 

These  are  Sanscrit  words,  signifying  : 
AgnMn — sacred  fire, 
Pd — holy  water, 
Pdtra — purified  vessel, 
Parydya — magic  vegetation, 
Pardxa — invisible. 

The  Pourohita  should  utter  these  words  nine  times 
nine  times.  The  tutelary  spirits  will  then  manifest  them- 
selves and  the  cloth  is  gradually  raised  during  the  continu- 
ance of  the  invocation. 


The  Pourohita  should  then  remove  the  cloth,  and  he 
will  find  that  the  ten  seeds  have  appeared  above  the  earth 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  39 

in  the  ten  pots,  and  ten  shrubs  have  grown  as  high  as  the 
Pourohita's  forehead,  bearing  flowers  and  fruits  each  after 
its  kind. 


The  Brahmatchary's  mother  should  then  weave  a  crown 
of  flowers  gathered  from  these  trees,  and  should  place  it 
upon  her  son's  head.  The  Pourohita  should  then  distrib- 
ute among  all  of  those  present  the  fruits  which  have  grown 
beneath  the  cloth,  which  the  guests  should  eat,  repeating 
the  following  words  three  times : 

The  auspicious  omen  has  manifested  itself. 

The  auspicious  omen  has  manifested  itself. 

The  auspicious  omen  has  manifested  itself. 
The  Brahmatchary  then  receives  the  triple  cord  of  the 
novitiate. 

A  new  invocation  was  then  made  to  the  spirits  of  the 
planets  and  ancestors,  thanking  them  for  their  protection 
and  intervention,  and  a  piece  of  consecrated  saffron  was 
attached  about  the  young  Brahmin's  neck. 

•5f 

The  barber  should  then  shave  the  neophyte's  head  and 
cut  the  nails  of  his  feet  and  hands  to  the  sound  of  the 
women's  songs,  accompanied  by  the  musician  from  the 
pagoda. 

*      * 

The  young  Brahmin  is  then  required  to  take  a  bath  in 
the  tank  of  aUution,  in  order  to  remove  any  impurity 
which  he  may  have  contracted  by  being  in  contact  with 
the  barber,  who  is  unclean,  and  the  women  attire  him  in 
new  and  pure  linen  garments. 


The  Pourohita  then  advances  to  his  side  and,  by  the  im- 
position of  hands,  removes  his  ignorance  and  qualifies  him 


40  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

for  the  study  of  the  sciences,  which  will  now  occupy  every 
moment  of  his  time.  He  should  then  gird  about  his 
waist  a  triple  girdle,  woven  from  the  sacred  grass  of  the 
Darba. 


Reciting  the  conjurations  of  the  neck  and  bosom,  the 
Pourohita  then  decorates  the  neophyte  with  the  triple 
girdle  of  the  Brahininic  initiation,  and  consecrates  him 
Brahmatchary  or  candidate  for  initiation. 

•* 

At  this  time  a  Guru,  or  master  of  the  sacred  science,  is 
chosen  for  the  young  Brahmatchary.  He  must  be  more 
than  sixty  years  old. 

The  Guru  should  take  his  new  pupil  aside,  and  turn- 
ing his  face  toward  the  East,  he  should  say  to  him,  "  Oh ! 
my  son,  you  have  now  taken  your  seat  by  the  side  of 
men,  may  your  body  be  free  from  all  impurity ;  may  your 
thoughts  always  turn  toward  the  good,  for  Brahma  will 
now  commence  to  know  you  by  your  actions. 


"  Know  that  the  shades  of  your  ancestors  in  an  aerial 
form  will  attend  you  in  all  your  studies,  and  will  reveal  to 
you  hereafter,  if  you  are  worthy,  the  grand  secret  of  being. 

•x- 

•3f  •& 

"Always  bear  in  mind  that  what  you  will  now  learn 
should  never  be  revealed  to  the  vulgar  herd,  and  that  you 
will  never  arrive  at  the  end  of  your  initiation  if  you  are 
unable  to  hide  the  secret  of  things  in  the  deepest  recesses 

of  your  heart." 

* 
*       * 

Having  uttered  these  words,  the  Guru  for  the  first  time 
calls  the  young  Bramatchary,  Douidja,  which  means  twice 
born. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  41 

The  first  birth  is  merely  the  advent  into  material  life, 
the  second  birth  is  the  entrance  to  a  spiritual  life. 


So  ends  the  second  day. 

On  the  third  day  the  Brahmatchary  for  the  first  time 
offers  a  sacrifice  to  fire,  and  performs  an  oblation  to  the 
spirits  and  to  his  ancestral  shades,  in  the  presence  of  all 
the  guests. 

*•       * 

On  the  fourth  day  the  father  of  the  young  Brahmin 
who  has  just  received  the  investiture  should  make  suitable 
presents  to  all  the  Brahmins  who  were  present  at  the  cere- 
mony, and  should  not  forget  to  give  a  cow  and  a  hundred 
inanganys  of  rice  to  his  son's  Guru. 


Having  repeated  the  san-colpa,  the  Pourohita  should 
perform  an  oblation  to  all  the  spirits  that  he  evoked  to  be 
present  at  the  festival,  and  he  should  thank  them  for  an- 
swering his  summons. 

* 

*  * 

All  present  should  say  as  they  separate,  "  The  child  is 
dead,  a  man  is  born." 

•x- 

*  * 

"We  purposely  refrain  from  accompanying  this  curious 
passage  from  the  Agrouchada-Parikchai  with  any  com- 
ments of  our  own.  As  we  have  said  before,  we  merely 
propose  to  give  an  impartial  account  of  these  strange  cus- 
toms. 

We  will  say,  however,  that  in  this  ceremony  of  the  Ou- 
panayana  or  investiture  of  the  sacred  girdle,  which  makes 
a  man  of  the  boy,  the  Pitris,  or  spirits,  and  the  ancestral 
shades  take  the  most  prominent  part.  They  are  evoked 


42  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

by  a  Pourohita,  they  are  present  during  the  whole  festi- 
val, and  they  almost  exclusively  receive  the  sacrifice,  obla- 
tions, and  firstlings  of  all  the  dishes  prepared  for  the 
repast  which  terminates  the  mysterious  celebrations  of 
each  particular  day. 

Yischnou,  as  well  as  Brahma,  the  lord  of  all  beings, 
and  the  master  of  gods  and  men,  is  only  evoked  by  the 
Pourohita  in  order  to  prepare  himself  for  the  ceremony 
by  the  contemplation  of  the  perfections  of  the  creator  and 
preserver  of  the  universe. 

The  Brahmatchary  continues  his  studies  as  novice  until 
the  time  of  his  marriage,  which  takes  place  about  the  six- 
teenth or  eighteenth  year  of  his  age.  During  this  period 
he  lives  with  his  Guru,  or  director,  and  engages  in  the 
study  of  the  sacred  books,  and  of  the  mathematical  and 
astronomical  sciences. 

He  is  not  yet  admitted  to  the  study  of  the  occult  sciences, 
whose  first  principles  he  will  only  begin  to  learn  when  he 
has  reached  the  degree  of  Grihasta,  or  head  of  a  family, 
or  of  Pourohita,  or  officiating  priest. 

The  following  instructions  are  taken  from  Manu : 

After  the  initiation  of  the  Brahmatchary,  the  Guru 
teaches  him  the  duty  of  purity  and  morality,  the  main- 
tenance of  the  sacred  fire,  and  the  morning,  noon,  and 
evening  sandyas,  which  are  a  kind  of  prayers. 


After  having  performed  the  prescribed  ablutions,  and 
before  opening  the  Yeda,  turning  his  face  toward  the 
East,  the  Brahmatchary  should  pay  homage  to  the  sov- 
ereign master  of  the  universe. 


During  the  reading  of  the  Yeda  he  should  control  his 
senses,  and  stand  with  clasped  hands  in  an  attitude  of 
homage  before  the  sacred  scriptures.  At  the  commence- 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IK  INDIA.  43 

ment  and  close  of  the  reading,  he  should  kiss  the  feet  of 
his  director,  and  not  commence  nor  stop  until  he  hears  the 
Guru  tell  him  to  begin  his  studies  or  to  desist. 


Always,  at  the  commencement  or  end  of  his  reading, 
he  should  pronounce  the  sacred  monosyllable,  A,  U,  M, 
which  contains  the  mystery  of  the  Trinity.  That  will 
make  him  remember  what  he  has  learned,  otherwise  it 
will  vanish  like  letters  traced  upon  the  waters. 

# 
*       * 

He  should  pronounce  this  mysterious  monosyllable, 
which  is  an  invocation  to  the  Trimourti  and  which  ex- 
presses the  substance  of  the  Yeda,  according  to  Brahma 
himself,  with  face  turned  toward  the  East ;  he  should  be 
free  from  all  impurity,  should  hold  his  breath,  and  have  in 
his  hands  a  stalk  of  sacred  cousa  grass. 


The  Brahmatchary  should  never  cause  the  slighest 
trouble  to  the  Guru  who  has  undertaken  to  educate  him 
and  to  instruct  him  in  the  knowledge  of  the  sacred  scrip- 
tures. He  should  venerate  him  like  a  father  and  mother. 

It  nowhere  appears  in  the  Agrouchada-Parikchai  that  it 
is  lawful  for  the  Brahmatchary  to  make  use  of  the  invo- 
cation of  the  mysterious  monosyllable,  A,  U,  M,  as  he  is 
allowed  to  do  by  Manu,  but  the  ancient  legislator  uses 
the  word  here  in  its  vulgar  sense,  in  which  it  represents 
the  religious  triad  ;  as  for  the  mystical  signification  of  the 
three  letters,  he  forbids  its  explanation,  like  the  book  of 
the  Pitris. 

The  primitive  holy  syllable,  composed  of  the  three  let- 
ters, in  which  the  vedic  trinity  is  comprised,  should  be 
kept  secret.  (Manu,  book  xi.,  sloca  265.) 


44  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

We  shall  not  describe  in  the  present  work  the  Brahmat- 
chary's  marriage  ceremony  nor  his  funeral,  in  case  of  his 
death  before  his  novitiate  is  completed.  The  restricted 
limits  of  a  single  volume  will  not  allow  us  to  dwell  upon 
these  matters  except  at  the  expense  of  the  more  interesting 
parts  of  our  subject. 

The  real  practice  of  the  occult  sciences  did  not  com- 
mence until  the  second  or  third  degree  of  initiation.  It 
is  mainly  important  that  we  should  make  ourselves  ac- 
quainted with  these,  the  novitiate  and  the  first  class  of  ini- 
tiation being  only  preparatory  to  the  higher  degrees. 

Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  evocation  of  the  ancestral 
shades  of  the  Pitris  always  formed  a  prominent  feature, 
both  of  the  marriage  ceremony  and  of  the  funeral  rites. 
They  could  not  take  place  without  their  being  present. 


CHAPTER  Y. 

THE   FIRST    DEGREE    OF     INITIATION — ABLUTIONS PRAYER — - 

CEREMONIES EVOCATION. 

[Taken  from  the  Agrouchada-Parikchai.] 

After  his  marriage,  the  Brahmatchary  left  the  class  of 
neophytes,  but  he  did  not,  however,  enter  that  of  the  Gri- 
hastas,  or  heads  of  family,  who  had  been  admitted  to  the 
first  degree  of  initiation.  In  order  to  do  so,  it  was  requi- 
site, first,  that  he  should  have  paid  his  ancestors'  debt  by 
the  birth  of  a  son,  who  would  perpetuate  their  race ;  sec- 
ond, that  he  should  be  deemed  worthy,  upon  the  report 
of  his  Guru,  of  taking  this  step. 

Upon  admission  he  might  remain  a  simple  Grihasta,  or 
he  might  be  attached  to  the  service  of  a  pagoda,  in  the 
capacity  of  a  Pourohita ;  in  either  case,  he  was  now  a 
member  of  the  great  sacerdotal  family,  and  during  twenty 
years  all  the  acts  of  his  daily  life  would  be  instrumental 
in  the  preparation,  both  mentally  and  physically,  by  medi- 
tation, prayers,  sacrifices,  ablutions,  and  the  strictest  atten- 
tion to  personal  cleanliness,  for  the  superior  transformation 
which  was  now  the  object  of  all  his  efforts. 

According  to  the  first  part  of  the  Agroiichada-Parikchai, 
which  we  have  already  quoted,  and  which  is  called  the 
Nittia-Carma,  the  following  is  an  account  of  the  innumer- 
able corporeal  and  spiritual  purifications  which  were  en- 
joined upon  him,  and  none  of  which  could  be  neglected 
under  the  severest  penalties. 

They  are  divided  in  the  original  work  in  the  following 
manner : 


46  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

PEOEMIUM. 

*  # 

The  Grihasta  should  leave  his  mat  every  morning  bef era 
sunrise,  and  his  first  words,  upon  leaving  his  bed,  should 
be  an  invocation  to  Yischnou. 

He  should  then  address  the  great  essence,  whose  number 
three  is  contained  in  one,  as  well  as  the  superior  spirits, 
saying,  Brahma !  Yischnou !  Siva !  and  you,  superior 
Genii  of  the  seven  planets,  cause  the  day  to  appear. 

* 

The  second  name  which  he  should  pronounce,  is  that  of 
the  Guru  under  whom  he  has  accomplished  his  novitiate. 
He  should  say  : 

O  holy  Guru,  I  offer  you  my  adorations  and  I  love 
you  as  a  superior  spirit  who  has  already  left  the  world. 
It  is  through  your  wise  lessons  that  I  have  been  able  to 
avoid  evil. 

He  should  then  pray  to  the  superior  Being,  to  descend 
into  his  heart,  saying : 

Brahma  is  now  within  me,  and  I  shall  enjoy  the  most 
perfect  happiness. 

*  * 

He  should  then  address  Yischnou,  saying : 
O  God,  who  art  the  purest  of  spirits,  the  principle  of 
all  things,  the  master  of  the  world,  and  the  fertilizer  of 
nature,  it  is  by  thy  orders  that  I  have  left  my  couch  and 
have  ventured  among  the  shoals  of  life. 

He  should  then  ponder  over  the  duties  of  the  day,  and 
the  good  works  and  meritorious  actions  which  it  is  his 
duty  to  perform. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  47 

He  should  remember,  in  order  to  be  agreeable  to  the 
gods,  that  all  his  actions  should  be  performed  with  fervor 
and  piety,  not  negligently  or  perfunctorily. 


Having  set  his  mind  upon  the  performance  of  every 
duty,  he  should  then  utter  aloud  the  thousand  names  of 
Yischnou. 

The  Agrouchada  gives  the  whole  litany  of  Yischnou, 
which  is  actually  composed  of  a  thousand  names.  They 
commence  as  follows : 

Hail  to  Yischnou ! 
Hail  to  Hary ! 
Hail  to  Narayana  ! 
Hail  to  Covinda ! 
Hail  to  Kechva !  etc. 

The  reader  will  gladly  dispense  with  the  rest. 

FIRST  PART. 
The  Regular  Ablutions. 

Taking  in  his  hand  a  copper  vessel,  he  should  go  to 
some  isolated  place,  at  least  an  arrow's  flight  from  his 
dwelling,  to  perform  his  needs. 

It  is  impossible  for  us  to  give  these  singular  precepts 
in  full.  They  are  alike  among  all  Eastern  people.  "We 
read  in  Deuteronomy,  chapter  23,  verses  12  and  13.  (Ha- 
l>ebis  locum  extra  castra  ad  quern  egrediaris  ad  requisita 
naturce,  gerens  paxillum  in  ~balteo  ;  cumque  sederis,  fodies 
per  circuitum,  et  egesta  humo  operies.) 

* 
*       * 

In  the  choice  of  a  suitable  place  he  should  avoid  the 
ground  of  a  temple  and  the  banks  of  a  river,  or  a  tank,  a 
well,  a  much- travelled  road,  or  a  sacred  wood. 


48  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

He  should  not  wear  the  pure  cloth  which  he  uses  as  a 
garment. 

He  should  suspend  the  triple  cord,  which  is  a  sign  of  his 
dignity,  from  his  left  ear. 


He  should  stop  in  a  place  where  he  is  sure  of  not  being 
seen,  and  while  he  stays  there  he  should  not  have  in  mind 
or  sight,  the  gods,  the  Pitris,  the  ancestral  shades,  the  sun, 
the  moon,  the  seven  planets,  or  fire,  or  a  Brahmin,  a  tem- 
ple, a  statue  of  the  divinity,  or  a  woman. 

*       •* 
He  should  maintain  the  profoundest  silence. 


He  should  chew  nothing  and  have  no  burden  upon  his 
head. 

Upon  his  departure,  after  washing  his  feet  and  hands 
in  the  water  contained  in  a  covered  vessel,  he  should  go 
to  the  banks  of  a  river  or  tank  to  perform  the  ablution  of 
his  secret  parts. 


Having  come  to  the  banks  of  the  river  or  tank  where 
he  proposes  to  purify  himself,  he  should  choose  a  suitable 
place,  and  a  little  fine  sand  which  he  should  use  in  con- 
junction with  the  water  to  effect  his  purification. 

* 

•x-       * 

He  should  know  that  there  are  several  kinds  of  impure 
earths  which  he  should  not  use,  to  wit :  earth  thrown  up 
by  ants,  that  from  which  the  salt  has  been  extracted,  clay, 
the  earth  upon  a  high  road,  that  which  has  been  used  for 
making  lye,  that  which  is  found  under  a  tree  or  in  the 


OCCULT  SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  49 

grounds  of  a  temple,  or  in  a  cemetery,  or  that  which  is 
found  near  boles  made  by  rats. 


He  should  select  a  fine  sandy  earth,  free  from  vegetable 
or  animal  detritus  of  any  kind. 


Having  provided  himself  with  suitable  earth,  he  should 
approach  the  water  without  entering  it  and  should  fill  his 
copper  vessel.  If  he  has  no  vessel,  he  should  make  a  hole 
in  the  sand  upon  the  banks  of  a  river. 

•*       # 

Taking  a  handful  of  earth  saturated  with  water,  he 
should  rub  and  wash  the  unclean  parts  three  times,  and 
his  other  secret  parts  once. 


Then,  after  cleaning  and  washing  himself  with  plenty 
of  water,  he  should  rinse  out  his  mouth  with  the  pure 
liquid  and  should  swallow  three  mouthfuls  while  uttering 
the  name  of  Yischnou. 


* 
*       # 


In  cleaning  his  teeth  he  should  use  a  small  bit  of  wood 
taken  from  the  outanga,  rengou,  neradou,  visouga,  outara, 
or  revanou  tree  or  from  any  lacteous  or  thorny  bushes. 


Upon  cutting  off  a,  branch  he  should  address  the  spirits 
of  the  woods  as  follows : 


Spirit  of  the  forest,  I  cut  one  of  these  little  branches 
to  clean  my  teeth.     Grant  me,  by  means  of  the  act  which 
I  am   about  to  accomplish,  a  long  life,  strength,  honors, 
and  understanding. 
4 


50  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

Having  terminated  this  invocation,  he  should  cut  a  long 
stick  from  a  palm  tree,  the  end  of  which  he  should 
soften  in  his  mouth,  like  a  brush. 

•x- 
•x-       * 

Sitting  upon  the  edge  of  the  water,  with  his  face  turned 
toward  the  East,  he  should  rub  all  his  teeth  with  the  stick 
of  wood  and  should  rinse  out  his  mouth  three  times  with 

pure  water. 

•x- 

*  * 

It  is  not  lawful  for  him  to  cleanse  himself  thus  every 
day.  He  should  abstain  the  sixth,  eighth,  ninth,  eleventh, 
and  fourteenth  day  of  the  new  and  full  moon. 

•x- 

*  -x- 

He  should  abstain  on  Tuesday  of  every  week,  and  on 
the  day  presided  over  by  the  constellation  beneath  which 
he  was  born,  as  well  as  upon  the  day  of  the  week  and 
month  corresponding  to  that  of  his  birth. 

•x- 

*  #• 

He  should  abstain  during  eclipses,  planetary  conjunc- 
tions, equinoxes,  solstices,  and  other  inauspicious  periods  ; 
upon  the  anniversary  of  his  father's  or  mother's  death 
lie  should  understand  that  all  this  is  absolutely  forbidden. 


SECOND  PART. 
Rules  for  General  Ablutions. 

Upon  going  to  the  river  or  tank  of  ablutions  the 
Brahmin  should  change  the  water  of  the  river  or  tank,  by 
the  power  of  the  following  invocation,  into  the  sacred 

waters  of  the  Ganges  : 

•x- 

*       * 

Invocation. 

O  Ganges,  you  were  born  from  the  bosom  of  Brahma, 
whence  you  descended  upon  the  head  of  Siva  and  the 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  51 

feet  of  Yischnou,  and  came  down  to  earth  to  wipe  out  the 
sins  of  mankind,  to  purify  them  from  their  uncleanness,  and 
to  obtain  happiness  for  them ;  you  are  the  refuge  and 
stay  of  all  animated  creatures  that  live  on  this  earth.  I 
have  confidence  in  you  ;  take  back  again  your  holy  water 
from  this  river  in  which  I  am  about  to  perform  my  ablu- 
tions ;  in  this  manner  you  will  purify  my  soul  and  body. 


He  should  think  of  the  spirits  who  preside  over  the 
sacred  rivers,  which  are  seven  in  number — Ganges,  Ya- 
mouna,  Sindou,  Godavery,  Sarasvatty,  Nerbouda,  and 
Cavery. 

*  -x- 

Then  entering  the  water  he  should  direct  his  attention 
toward  the  Ganges,  and  imagine  that  he  is  really  per- 
forming his  ablutions  in  that  river. 

•x- 

After  bathing  he  should  turn  toward  the  sun,  and 
taking  some  water  in  his  hands  three  times,  he  should 
perform  an  oblation  to  that  luminary  three  times,  letting 
the  water  drip  slowly  from  the  end  of  his  fingers. 

•* 

*  * 

He  should  then  come  out  of  the  water,  gird  his  loins 
with  a  pure  cloth,  put  another  upon  his  shoulders,  and  sit 
down  with  his  face  turned  toward  the  East,  and  with  his 
copper  vessel  full  of  water  standing  near  him :  he  should 
then  rub  his  forehead  with  ground  sandal-wood  and  trace 
the  red  mark  called  Tiloky,  according  to  the  practice  of 

his  caste. 

* 

*  #• 

He  should  then  hang  from  his  neck  three  garlands  of 
flowers  of  different  colors  prepared  by  his  wife,  and  should 
finish  by  suspending  from  his  neck  a  chaplet  of  the  red 
seed  called  Boudrakchas. 


52  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

He  should  then  think  of  Yischnon  and  should  drink  of 
the  water  contained  in  his  vase  three  times  in  his  honor. 
He  should  again  perform  three  libations  to  the  sun,  pour- 
ing a  little  water  upon  the  earth. 


He  should  perform  a  similar  libation  in  honor  of  the 
celestial  Trimourti — Brahma,  Vischnou,  Siva ;  and  of 
the  superior  spirits — Indra,  Agny,  Yama,  Neiritia,  Ya- 
rouna,  Yahivou,  Couverd,  and  Isania. 


To  the  air,  to  the  ether,  to  the  earth,  to  the  pure  fluid, 
Agasa,  to  the  universal  principle  of  force  and  life,  and  to 
all  the  Pitris  and  ancestral  shades,  uttering  the  names  of 
all  those  which  occur  to  his  mind. 


He  should  then  arise  and  pay  homage  to  Yischnou,  re- 
citing in  his  honor  the  prayers  which  are  most  agreeable 
to  him. 

Turning  around  slowly  three  times,  he  should  pronounce 
the  names  of  the  divine  Trinity,  nine  times  at  every  revo- 
lution. Then  uttering  slowly  the  three  names  contained  in 
the  mysterious  monosyllable — Brahma,  Yischnou,  Siva — 
he  should  make  nine  revolutions  at  each  repetition  thereof. 


When  he  pronounces  the  mysterious  monosyllable  itself 
in  a  low  tone,  he  should  rapidly  make  nine  revolutions  and 
recite  the  following  invocation  to  the  sun : 

•£ 
•*  * 

Invocation. 

O  Sun !  you  are  the  eye  of  Brahma  at  day-break,  the 
eye  of  Yischnou  at  noon,  and  that  of  Siva  at  evening. 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  53 

You  are  the  diamond  of  the  Infinite,  the  precious  stone  of 
the  air,  the  king  of  day,  the  witness  of  all  actions  that 
take  place  in  the  universe.  Your  warmth  fertilizes  na- 
ture. You  are  the  measure  of  time.  You  regulate 
days,  nights,  weeks,  months,  years,  cycles,  calpas,  yu- 
yas,  seasons,  and  the  time  for  ablutions  and  prayer. 
You  are  the  lord  of  the  nine  planets.  You  remove 
all  the  impurities  of  the  globe.  You  scatter  darkness 
wherever  you  appear.  In  the  space  of  sixty  gahdias 
you  survey  from  your  chariot  the  whole  of  the  great 
mountain  of  the  north,  which  extends  for  ninety  millions 
six  hundred  yodjomas.  I  offer  you  my  adoration,  as  to 
the  superior  spirit  which  watches  over  the  earth. 


In  honor  of  his  tutelary  star  and  of  the  spirit  which 
animates  it,  he  then  turns  around  twelve  times,  twenty- 
four  times,  or  if  his  strength  enables  him  twenty-four 
times,  forty-eight  times.1 

«• 

*  * 

In  this  manner  he  disciplines  the  body,  increases  his 
strength,  and  prepares  himself  for  mysterious  evocations. 
He  then  goes  toward  the  tree,  Assouata,  and,  after  rest- 
ing himself  in  its  shade,  he  addresses  to  it  the  following 

invocation : 

* 

*  * 

Invocation. 

0  Tree  Assouata !  *  you  are  the  king  of  the  forests 
and  the  image  and  symbol  of  the  gods.     Your  roots  repre- 
sent Brahma,  your  trunk  Yischnou,  and  your  branches 
Siva ;  thus  you  represent  the  Trimourti.     All  those  who 
honor  you  in  this  world  by  performing  the  ceremony  of 

1  This  is  undoubtedly  the  origin  of  the  Bonzes  and  whirling  dervishes. 
8  All  Brahmins  plant  them  about  their  temples  and  dwelling-houses 


54  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

imitation,  by  turning  around  you,  and  by  celebrating  your 
praises,  obtain  the  knowledge  of  things  in  this  world  and  a 
superior  form  in  another. 


He  then  revolves  around  the  tree  seven,  fourteen, 
twenty -one,  twenty-eight,  thirty-five  times  and  more,  until 
his  strength  is  exhausted,  always  increasing  the  number  of 
revolutions  by  seven. 

"When  he  is  rested  he  should  engage,  for  a  while,  in  de- 
vout meditation  ;  he  should  then  clothe  himself  with  clean 
garments,  and,  after  plucking  a  few  flowers  with  which  to 
offer  sacrifices  to  the  domestic  spirits,  he  should  return  to 
the  house,  with  his  vessel  full  of  water. 


THIRD   PART. 

Acts  after  Ablutions. 

Upon  returning  home  the  Grihasta  performs  the  sacri- 
fice to  the  fire  and  can  then  attend  to  his  other  duties. 


At  noon,  after  ordering  his  mid-day  meal,  he  should  re- 
turn to  the  river  for  the  purpose  of  repeating  the  sandya 
and  of  reciting  the  prayers  which  will  be  hereafter  given 

in  the  ritual. 

•* 
*       ¥f 

Then  he  should  return  home,  and  try  to  keep  himself 
pure  by  carefully  abstaining  from  touching  or  walking 
upon  anything  capable  of  contaminating  him. 

•x- 
•x-       * 

If  he  should  come  in  contact  with  any  person  of  an  in- 
ferior caste,  or  should  step  upon  any  vegetable  or  animal 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  55 

detritus,  upon  any  hair  or  bones,  he  should  return  to  the 
river  and  repeat  his  ablutions. 

* 
•*       #• 

He  should  be  in  a  state  of  perfect  purity  in  order  to 
offer  the  sacrifice  to  the  Pitris  which  it  now  becomes  his 
office  to  perform. 

After  preparing  himself  for  this  important  ceremony, 
he  should  thoughtfully  enter  the  room  in  his  house  re- 
served for  the  domestic  spirits  which  he  is  accustomed  to 
evoke,  and  should  engage  in  the  ceremonies  preparatory 
to  evocation. 


Evocation  in  the  First  Degree. 

After  darkening  a  part  of  the  room  he  should  deposit 
in  that  portion  of  it  a  vase  full  of  water,  a  lamp,  and  some 
powdered  sandal-wood,  boiled  rice,  and  incense. 


Snapping  his  fingers  together,  and  turning  around 
upon  his  heels  he  should  trace  before  the  door  the  magic 
circles  as  taught  him  by  the  superior  Guru,  in  order  to 
prevent  the  entrance  of  any  bad  spirits  from  the  outside 
and  to  confine  within  it  any  which  have  already  pene- 
trated to  the  sanctuary  of  the  Pitris. 


With  earth,  water,  and  fire,  breathed  upon  three  times, 
he  should  compose  a  new  body  for  himself,  and  with  a  part 
of  his,  should  form  a  body  for  the  spirits  which  he  in- 
tends to  evoke  for  the  sacrifice. 


He  should  then  compress  the  right  nostril  with   his 
thumb  and  pronounce  the  monosyllable  Djom!  sixteen 


56  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

times.  Breathing  in  strongly  by  his  left  nostril  he  should 
by  degrees  separate  the  particles  of  which  his  body  is 
composed. 


With  the  thumb  and  fore-finger  he  should  then  press 
both  nostrils  and  pronounce  the  word  Rom !  six  times. 
He  should  stop  breathing  and  summon  fire  to  his  aid  in 
order  to  disperse  his  body. 


He  should  pronounce  the  word  Lorn  !  thirty-two  times, 
when  his  soul  will  escape  from  his  body,  and  his  body 
will  disappear  and  the  soul  of  the  spirits  he  has  evoked 
will  animate  the  new  body  he  prepared  for  it. 

* 

•x-        * 

His  soul  will  then  return  to  his  body,  the  subtile  parts 
of  which  will  unite  anew,  after  forming  an  aerial  body  for 
the  spirits  which  he  has  evoked. 

•* 
•*       #• 

Pronouncing  the  sacred  word  Aum !  three  times  and 
the  magic  syllable  Djom !  nine  times,  he  should  impose 
his  hands  above  the  lamp  and  throw  a  pinch  of  incense 
upon  the  flame,  saying : 

* 

*  * 

O  sublime  Pitri  t  O  illustrious  penitent  narada ! 
whom  I  have  evoked  and  for  whom  I  have  formed  a  sub- 
tile body  from  the  constituent  particles  of  my  own,  are 
you  present  ?  Appear  in  the  smoke  of  incense  and  take 
part  in  the  sacrifice  that  I  offer  to  the  shades  of  my  an- 
cestors. 

* 

*  * 

When  he  has  received  a  suitable  answer  and  the  aerial 
body  of  the  spirit  evoked  has  appeared  in  the  smoke  of 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  57 

the  incense,  he  should  then  proceed  to  perform  the  obla- 
tions and  sacrifices  as  prescribed. 


The  sacrifices  having  been  offered,  he  should  hold  con- 
verse with  the  souls  of  his  ancestors  concerning  the  mys- 
teries of  being  and  the  transformations  of  the  imperisha- 
ble. 

Having  extinguished  his  lamp,  in  darkness  and  silence 
he  should  then  listen  to  the  conversation  of  the  spirits  with 
each  other,  and  should  be  present  at  the  manifestations  by 
which  they  reveal  their  presence. 


Lighting  his  lamp,  he  should  then  set  at  liberty  the  evil 
spirits  confined  in  the  magic  circles,  after  which  he  should 
leave  the  asylum  of  the  Pitris.  It  is  lawful  for  him  then 

to  take  his  repast. 

* 
*•       * 

As  soon  as  he  has  finished  it,  he  should  wash  his  hands, 
rinse  his  mouth  twelve  times,  and  eat  nine  leaves  of  basil, 
in  order  to  facilitate  his  digestion. 

•* 

*  * 

He  should  distribute  betel  and  cashew  nuts  to  the  poor 
whom  he  has  invited  to  his  table,  and  when  they  are  gone 
he  should  engage  for  a  time  in  the  perusal  of  the  sacred 

scriptures. 

« 

*  * 

Having  finished  his  reading,  it  is  lawful  for  him  to  take 
some  betel  and  to  attend  to  his  other  business  and  to  visit 
his  friends,  but  he  should  be  very  careful,  during  every 
moment  of  his  public  life,  never  to  covet  the  property  or 
wife  of  another. 


58  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

At  sunset,  he  should  return  to  the  river  to  perform  the 
ceremony  of  ablution,  the  same  as  in  the  morning. 


Upon  returning  to  the  house,  he  should  again  perform 
an  oblation  to  the  fire,  and  should  recite  the  thousand 
names  of  the  Hary-Smarana,  or  the  litanies  of  Yischnon. 


He  should  then  repair  to  the  temple  to  hear  the  lesson 
given  by  the  superior  Guru  to  the  Grihastas  and  Pouro- 
hitas  who  have  passed  through  the  first  degree  of  initiation. 

*  -x- 

He  should  never  enter  the  temple  empty  handed.  He 
should  carry  as  a  present  either  oil  for  the  lamps,  or  cocoa- 
nuts,  bananas,  camphor,  incense,  or  sandal-wood,  which 
are  used  in  the  sacrifices.  If  he  is  poor,  he  should  give  a 
little  betel. 

Before  entering  the  temple  he  should  make  a  circuit  of 
it  three  times,  and  perform  before  the  door  the  Schak- 
tanga,  or  prostration  of  the  six  limbs. 

*  -x- 

After  hearing  the  lessons  and  taking  part  in  the  evoca- 
tions of  the  Pitris,  with  the  other  members  of  his  order, 
he  should  perform  his  devotions  and  return  home,  being 
careful  to  avoid  any  impurities,  in  order  to  take  his  even- 
ing repast,  after  which  he  should  immediately  lie  down. 


He  should  never  pass  the  night  in  a  place  consecrated 
to  the  spirits.  When  travelling,  he  should  be  careful  not 
to  lie  down  in  the  shadow  of  a  tree,  or  in  a  ploughed  or 
moist  field,  or  in  places  covered  with  ashes,  or  by  the  edge 
of  a  cemetery. 


OCCULT  SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  59 

Upon  lying  down  he  should  offer  his  adoration  to  the 
divine  Trimourti,  and  should  recite  the  invocation  to  the 
spirit  called  Kalassa,  which  is  agreeable  to  Siva. 

JZalassa. 

May  the  spirit  Bahirava  preserve  my  head  from  acci- 
dent, the  spirit  Bichava  my  forehead ;  the  spirit  Bouta- 
Carma  my  ears;  the  spirit  Preta-Bahava  my  face;  the 
spirit  Bouta-Carta  my  thighs;  the  spirits  Datys  (who 
were  endowed  with  immense  strength)  my  shoulders; 
Kalapamy  my  hands;  Chanta  my  chest;  Ketrica  my 
stomach ;  Pattou  my  generative  organs ;  Katrapala  my 
ribs ;  Kebraya  my  mouth ;  Chidda-Pattou  my  ankles, 
and  the  superior  spirit  Yama  my  whole  body.  May  fire, 
which  is  the  essence  of  the  life  of  both  gods  and  men, 
preserve  me  from  all  harm,  wherever  I  may  be.  May 
the  wives  of  these  spirits  watch  over  my  children,  my 
cows,  my  horses,  and  my  elephants ;  may  Yischnou  watch 
over  my  native  land. 

May  God,  who  sees  all  things,  watch  over  my  family  and 
everything  else,  and  also  watch  over  me,  when  I  am  in 
any  place  which  is  not  under  the  care  of  any  divinity. 

* 

*  -x- 

He  should  conclude  by  the  invocation  to  Brahma,  the 

lord  of  creatures. 

* 

*  * 

Invocation  to  Brahma. 

O  Brahma!  what  is  this  mystery  which  is  repeated 
every  night  after  the  labors  of  the  day  are  over,  and  every 
one  has  returned  from  the  fields,  and  the  flocks  are  all  in 
their  folds,  and  the  evening  repast  is  over  ? 

# 

*  # 

Behold,  every  one  lies  down  upon  his  mat  and  closes  his 
eyes,  and  the  whole  body  ceases  to  exist,  and  is  abandoned 


60  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

by  the  soul  in  order  that  it  may  hold  converse  with  the 

soul  of  its  ancestors. 

* 

#  * 

Watch  over  it,  O  Brahma  !  when,  forsaking  the  body, 
which  is  asleep,  it  floats  hither  and  thither  upon  the  waters, 
or  wanders  through  the  immensities  of  the  heavens,  or 
penetrates  the  dark  and  mysterious  recesses  of  the  valleys 
and  forest  of  Hymavat. 

* 

*  * 

O  Brahma!  God  all-powerful,  who  commandest  the 
storms,  the  God  of  light  and  darkness,  let  my  soul  not  for- 
get, after  its  wanderings,  to  return  in  the  morning,  to  ani- 
mate my  body  and  remind  me  of  thee. 


He  should  then  stretch  himself  upon  his  mat  and  go  to 
sleep.  Beneficent  spirits  will  watch  over  his  repose.  (Ag- 
rouchada-Parikchai.) 


CHAPTEK  VI. 

THE  FIRST   DEGREE   OF   INITIATION. — (Continued.) 

Morning,  Noon,  and  Evening  Sandyas.1 

When  ten  years  have  been  spent  in  the  first  degree  of 
initiation  and  there  still  remains  an  equal  period  of  time 
before  the  Grihastas  and  Pourohitas  can  become  Sannyassis 
and  Vanaprasthas,  or,  in  other  words,  can  arrive  at  the 
second  degree  of  initiation,  many  prayers  must  be  added 
to  the  morning,  noon,  and  evening  ceremonies  of  ablution. 

When  he  has  reached  this  period  of  his  life  the  candi- 
date is  no  longer  his  own  master.  He  spends  almost  all 
of  his  time  in  prayers,  fastings,  and  in  mortifications  of 
every  description.  His  nights  are  partly  devoted  to  cere- 
monies of  evocation  in  the  temple  under  the  direction  of 
the  superior  Guru.  He  eats  only  once  a  day,  after  sun- 
set. All  the  occult  forces  are  put  in  operation  to  modify 
his  physiological  organization  and  give  his  powers  a  special 
direction.  Few  Brahmins  ever  arrive  at  the  second  de- 
gree of  initiation.  The  mysterious  and  terrible  phe- 
nomena which  they  produce  cannot  be  put  in  operation 
without  the  exercise  of  a  supernatural  power,  which  very 
few  are  enabled  to  master. 

Most  Brahmins,  therefore,  never  get  beyond  the  class  of 
Grihastas  and  Pourohitas.  We  shall  see,  however,  when 
we  have  finished  with  the  prayer  and  external  formula, 
the  object  of  which  is  to  discipline  the  intellect  by  the 
daily  repetition  of  the  same  acts,  and  when  we  approach 

1  Translated  from  the  Agroucliada-ParikcliaL 


62  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

the  subject  of  the  manifestations  and  phenomena,  which  the 
initiates  of  the  first  degree  claim  to  perform  (a  claim  which 
is  apparently  well  founded),  that  their  faculties  have  been 
developed  to  a  degree  which  has  never  been  equalled  in 
Europe. 

As  for  those  who  belong  to  the  second,  and  particularly 
the  third  classes,  they  claim  that  time  and  space  are  un- 
known to  them,  and  that  they  have  command  over  man 
and  death. 

*  *  *  *  *  * 

The  following  are  the  prayers  which,  during  the  second 
period  of  ten  years  of  the  first  degree  of  initiation,  are  to 
be  added  to  the  ceremonies  and  invocations  previously  pre- 
scribed as  acts  of  intellectual  discipline  intended  to  pre- 
vent the  subject  from  remaining  for  a  single  instant 
under  the  influence  of  his  own  thoughts. 

****** 

The  evocations  which  we  give  below  are  met  with,  with 
slight  deviations,  in  all  the  dialects  of  India,  and  are 
claimed  by  religious  sects.  They  are  also  in  strict  con- 
formity with  the  rite  of  the  Yadj  our- Veda. 

The  Morning  Sandya. 

At  the  end  of  ten  years  and  during  the  ensuing  ten 
years,  if  he  feels  strong  enough  to  attain  the  imperishable, 
the  Grihasta  should  recite  the  following  prayers  at  his 
morning  ablutions,  in  addition  to  those  already  prescribed. 


He  should  commence  all  his  exercises  by  the  following 
evocation : 

Apavitraha,  pavitraha  sarva  vastam. 
Gatopiva  yasmaret  pounkarikakchan. 
Sabahiabhiam  tara  souchihy. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  63 

The  man  who  is  pure  or  impure,  or  who  is  in  a  perilous 
situation,  whatever  it  may  be,  has  only  to  invoke  him 
whose  eyes  are  of  the  same  color  as  the  lotus  (pond  HI}7)  to 
be  pure  internally  as  well  as  externally,  and  to  be  saved. 

He  should  continue  by  the  invocation  to  the  water : 

Invocation  to  the   Water. 

O  Water!  consecrated  by  the  five  perfumes  and  by 
prayer,  thou  art  pure,  whether  taken  from  the  sea,  from 
rivers,  from  tanks,  or  from  well  ;  purify  thou  my  bodv 

from  all  uncleanness. 

* 

*  * 

As  the  traveller,  weary  with  the  heat,  finds  relief  in  the 
shade  of  a  tree,  so  may  I  find  in  the  sacred  water  relief 
from  every  ill  and  purification  from  all  my  sins. 

* 

•3f  * 

0  consecrated  water !  thou  art  the  essence  of  sacrifice 
and  germ  of   life.     In  thy  bosom  all  germs  have  been 
begotten,  all  beings  have  been  formed. 

* 

4f  -5f 

1  invoke  thee  with  the  confidence  of  a  child  who,  at  the 
appearance  of  danger,  rushes  into  the  arms  of  his  mother, 
who  loves  him  tenderly.     Purify  me  from  my  faults  and 
purify  all  men  with  me. 

•x- 

#  -x- 

O  water !  consecrated  at  the  time  of  the  pralaya-chao 
—Brahma,  or  the  supreme  wisdom — Swayambhouva,  or 
the  being  existing  by  his  own  strength,  dwelt  under  thy 
form.  Thou  wert  confounded  with  him. 


He  suddenly  appeared  upon   the   vast  billows   which 
rulfled  the  surface  of  infinite  space  and  created  a  form  in 


64  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

which  he  revealed  himself  and  separated  the  land  from  the 
waters,  which  when  assembled  together  in  one  spot  form 

the  vast  ocean. 

•* 
*       * 

The  unrevealed  being,  Brahma,  who  seated  on  the  waves 
of  the  vast  ether,  drew  from  his  own  substance  the  three- 
faced  Trimourti,  which  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth, 
the  air,  and  all  the  inferior  worlds. 

•* 
•*       #• 

Upon  terminating,  he  should  sprinkle  a  few  drops  of 
water  upon  his  head  with  three  stalks  of  the  sacred  darba 
grass. 

#•       * 

He  who  addresses  this  invocation  to  the  water  at 
morning,  and  who  is  thoroughly  penetrated  with  its  mystic 
meaning,  has  arrived  at  a  high  degree  of  sanctity. 

# 
x       x 

Joining  then  his  hands,  he  should  say,  "  O  Yischnou ! 
I  do  this  to  preserve  my  dignity  as  a  Grihasta." 


He  should  then  think  of  the  superior  and  inferior 
worlds,  of  the  spirits  which  inhabit  them,  of  the  spirits 
of  the  fire,  of  the  wind,  of  the  sun,  and  of  all  the  spirits 
of  the  earth. 

*  •* 

Raising  his  hand  to  his  head,  he  should  then  call  to 
mind  all  the  names  of  Brahma,  and  closing  his  eyes,  and 
compressing  his  nostrils,  he  should  perform  the  evocation 
of  that  God,  as  follows. 

*  * 

Come,  Brahma  !  come  down  to  my  bosom. 

* 

He  should  then  figure  to  himself  this  supreme  deity  as 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  65 

having  had  no  beginning  and  as  possessing  all  knowledge, 
like  the  Guru,  the  eternal  principle  of  all  things. 

# 

*  * 

And  he  should  say,  Hail  Brahma  !  thou  who  art  the 
essence  of  everything  that  exists,  of  water,  of  fire,  of  air, 
of  the  ether,  of  space,  and  of  infinity  :  I  offer  thee  my 

adoration. 

•* 

*  * 

He  should  then  evoke  Yischnou,  and  should  figure  him 
to  himself  as  emerging  from  the  bosom  of  the  water  in 
the  midst  of  a  lotus  flower. 


He  should  then  evoke  Siva,  saying,  You  who  destroy 
and  transform  everything,  destroy  and  transform  every- 
thing that  is  impure  in  me. 

* 

*  * 

The  Grihasta  should  then  address  the  following  prayer 
to  the  Sun. 

Invocation  to  the  Sun. 

O  Sun!  whose  fire  purifies  everything,  and  who  art 
the  spirit  of  prayer,  purify  me  from  the  faults  which  I 
have  committed  in  my  prayers  and  sacrifices,  from  all 
those  which  I  have  committed  at  night  in  thought  or 
action,  from  those  which  I  have  committed  against  my 
neighbor  by  calumny,  false  witness,  or  coveting  another's 
wife,  by  eating  prohibited  food,  at  unlawful  hours,  or  by 
communication  with  vile  men,  and  finally  from  all  the  im- 
purities which  I  may  have  contracted,  whether  during  the 
day  or  during  the  night. 

*  * 

O  Sun  !  you  give  birth  to  fire  and  it  is  from  you  that 
the  spirits  receive  those  subtile  particles  which  unite  to 
form  their  aerial  bodies. 
5 


66  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

He  should  trace  around  him  the  magic  circles  which 
prevent  evil  spirits  from  approaching  him. 


Addressing  the  immortal  Goddess,  Nari,  who  is  an 
emblem  of  nature  in  the  Hindu  mythology,  he  should 
then  express  himself  in  the  following  terms. 

•x- 

*  # 

O  illustrious  Goddess  !  I  pay  homage  to  you  ;  grant  that 
when  I  lay  aside  presently  this  perishable  envelope  I  may 

rise  to  higher  spheres. 

# 
•x-       re- 

placing then  both  hands  above  the  copper  vessel  filled 
with  water,  he  should  then  evoke  the  son  of  Kasiappa,  or 
any  other  sage  of  past  time,  asking  him  to  listen  to  the 
praises  that  he  addresses  to  Nari  and  to  recite  them  with 

him. 

•* 

*  * 

The  spirit  having  appeared  he  should  repeat  in  a  loud 
voice  the  following  words,  in  honor  of  the  universal 
mother. 


Invocation  to  Nari. 

O  divine  spouse  of  him  who  moves  upon  the  waters, 
preserve  me,  both  during  the  day  and  during  the  night. 
You  are  of  a  spiritual  nature. 
You  are  the  light  of  lights. 
You  are  not  subject  to  human  passions. 
You  are  eternal. 
You  are  all-powerful. 
You  are  purity  itself. 
You  are  the  refuge  of  men. 
You  are  their  salvation. 
You  are  knowledge. 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  67 

You  are  the  essence  of  the  sacred  scriptures. 

By  your  constant  f ruitf ulness  the  universe  is  sustained. 

You  are  the  figure  of  evocation. 

You  are  prayer. 

To  you  all  sacrifices  should  be  addressed. 

You  are  the  dispenser  of  every  good. 

Everything  is  in  your  hands ;  joy,  sorrow,  fear,  hope. 

You  are  present  in  the  three  worlds. 

You  have  three  figures. 

The  number  three  forms  your  essence. 


Nari,  the  immortal  virgin. 

Brahmy,  the  universal  mother. 

Hyranya,  the  golden  matrix. 

Paramatma,  the  soul  of  all  beings. 

Sakty,  the  Queen  of  the  universe. 

Lakny,  the  celestial  light. 

Mariama,  perpetual  fruitfulness. 

Agasa,  the  pure  fluid. 

Ahancara,  the  supreme  conscience. 

Cony  a,  the  chaste  virgin. 

Tanmatra,  the  union  of  the  five  elements :  Air,  fire, 

water,  earth,  ether. 
Trigana,  virtue,  riches,  love. 
Conyabava,  eternal  virginity. 

* 
*       * 

He  should  then  make  a  vow  to  recite  this  sublime  invo- 
cation, which  is  a  source  of  all  life  and  all  transformation, 
at  least  three  times  a  day. 

Noon  Sandya. 

He  should  repeat  the  same  prayers  after  the  noon  ablu* 
tions,  and  should  perform  the  evocation  of  spirits  by 
water. 


68  OCCULT  SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

Midnight  Scmdya. 

Having  offered  the  sacrifice  to  fire,  he  should  then  evoke 
the  spirits  of  night,  in  the  smoke  of  incense,  saying : 
Spirits  of  the  waters, 
Spirits  of  the  forests, 
Spirits  of  unfrequented  roads, 
Spirits  of  public  places, 
Spirits  of  sandy  plains, 
Spirits  of  the  jungles, 
Spirits  of  the  mountains, 
Spirits  of  burial  places, 
Spirits  of  the  ocean, 
Spirits  of  the  wind, 
Spirits  of  the  tempest, 
Destructive  spirits, 
Ensnaring  spirits, 
Spirits  of  salt  deserts, 
Spirits  of  the  East, 
Spirits  of  the  West, 
Spirits  of  the  North, 
Spirits  of  the  South, 
Spirits  of  darkness, 
Spirits  of  bottomless  gulfs, 
Spirits  of  heaven, 
Spirits  of  the  earth, 
Spirits  of  hell, 

Come  all  and  listen,  bear  these  words  in  mind. 

* 

Protect  all  travellers,  and  caravans,  ail  men  who  work, 
who  suffer,  who  pray,  or  who  rest,  all  those  who,  in  the 
silence  of  night,  carry  dead  bodies  to  the  funeral  pyre, 

those  who  travel  deserts,  or  forests,  or  the  vast  ocean. 

* 
*       * 

O  spirits,  come  and  listen.  Bear  these  words  in  mind 
and  protect  all  men.  (Agrouchada-Parikchai.) 


CHAPTER  YH. 

THE    SECOND   DEGREE    OF    ZNITIATIOK. 

Having  spent  twenty  years  of  his  life  after  receiving  the 
first  degree  of  initiation,  during  which  the  body  is  morti- 
fied by  fasting  and  privations  of  every  kind,  and  the  intel- 
lect is  trained  and  disciplined  by  means  of  prayers,  invo- 
cations, and  sacrifices,  the  candidate  finally  takes  his  place 
in  one  of  the  three  following  categories : 

Grihasta — he  remains  at  the  head  of  his  family  until 
his  death,  and  attends  to  his  social  duties  and  business, 
whatever  it  may  be.  Of  all  that  he  has  been  taught  he 
only  retains  the  power  to  evoke  the  domestic  spirits,  or  in 
other  words,  those  in  the  same  genealogical  line  as  him- 
self, with  whom  it  is  lawful  for  him  to  communicate  with- 
in the  sanctuary  which  it  is  his  duty  to  reserve  for  them 
in  his  house. 

Pourohita — he  becomes  a  priest  attached  to  the  pop- 
ular cult  and  takes  part  in  all  ceremonies  and  family  festi- 
vals, both  in  temples  and  private  dwellings.  Phenomena 
of  possession  come  exclusively  within  his  province :  he  is 
the  grand  exorcist  of  the  pagodas. 

Fakir — he  becomes  a  performing  Fakir,  and  from  this 
moment  forward  all  his  time  is  employed  in  the  manifes- 
tation of  occult  power  by  means  of  the  public  exhibition 
of  exterior  phenomena. 

Neither  Grihastas,  Pourohitas,  nor  Fakirs  are  ever  ad- 
mitted to  the  second  degree  of  initiation.  Their  studies 
are  ended,  and  with  the  exception  of  the  Fakirs,  who  are 
constantly  in  communication  with  those  who  have  been 


70  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

initiated  into  the  higher  degrees,  in  order  to  augment  their 
magnetic  and  spiritual  power,  they  take  no  part  in  the 
mystic  instruction,  which  is  given  in  the  temples. 

Only  a  few  among  those  who  have  distinguished  them- 
selves in  their  studies  for  the  first  degree  are  able  to  pass 
through  the  terrible  ordeal  of  the  higher  initiation  or  ar- 
rive at  the  dignity  of  a  Sannyassi  or  Cenobite. 

The  Sannyassi  lives  exclusively  in  the  temple,  and  he  is 
only  expected  to  appear  at  remote  intervals,  on  solemn  oc- 
casions, in  cases  where  it  is  important  to  impress  the  pop- 
ular imagination  by  a  superior  class  of  phenomena. 

The  Agrouchada-Parikchai  is  silent  as  to  the  course  of 
training  they  have  to  undergo.  The  formulas  of  prayer 
and  evocation  were  never  committed  to  writing,  but  were 
taught  orally,  in  the  underground  crypts  of  the  pagodas. 

We  are  able  therefore  to  prosecute  our  investigations 
into  the  subject  of  the  second  degree  of  initiation  only  by 
studying  the  phenomena  produced  by  the  Sannyassi,  a  list 
of  which  we  find  in  the  second  book  of  the  Agrouchada. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE   THIRD   DEGREE    OF   INITIATION. 

It  is  not  until  he  has  spent  a  further  period  of  twenty 
years  in  the  study  of  the  occult  sciences  and  manifesta- 
tions that  the  Sannyassi  becomes  a  Sannyassi-Mrvany  or 
Naked  Cenobite,  so  called  because  he  was  not  to  wear  any 
garments  whatever,  thus  indicating  that  he  had  broken  the 
last  tie  that  bound  him  to  the  earth.  We  are  limited  to 
such  means  of  information  as  are  obtainable  by  the  un- 
initiated. The  book  of  the  Pitris,  or  spirits,  which  is  our 
guide  in  this  inquiry,  contains  no  explanation  with  regard 
to  the  mysterious  occupations  in  which  the  Sannyassis- 
Nirvanys,  who  have  been  initiated  in  the  third  degree,  en- 
gage. The  chapter  devoted  to  this  subject  merely  gives 
the  following  magical  words,  of  which  the  Brahmins  would 
furnish  us  no  explanation  whatever,  which  were  inscribed 
in  two  triangles.  They  were : 

I/OM  SHO'RHIM 

I/RHOM-SH'HKTJM.  RAMAYA-NAMAHA. 

We  can  only  study  the  subject  of  the  highest  initiation 
in  its  philosophical  teachings  regarding  God  and  man. 
The  phenomena  performed  by  the  Nirvanys  are  not  de- 
scribed in  the  book  of  Pitris. 

We  have  not  been  able  to  glean  much  from  private 
conversations  with  Pourohitas,  with  regard  to  the  actions 
of  their  superiors.  It  seems  that  they  live  in  a  constant 
state  of  ecstatic  contemplation,  depriving  themselves  of 
sleep  as  far  as  possible,  and  taking  food  only  once  a  week, 
after  sunset. 


72  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

They  are  never  visible  either  in  the  grounds  or  inside 
the  temples,  except  on  the  occasion  of  the  grand  festival  of 
fire,  which  occurs  every  five  years.  On  that  day  they  ap- 
pear at  midnight  upon  a  stand  erected  in  the  centre  of 
the  sacred  tank.  They  appear  like  spectres,  and  the  sur- 
rounding atmosphere  is  illumined  by  them  by  means  of 
their  incantations.  They  seem  to  be  in  the  midst  of  a  col- 
umn of  light  rising  from  earth  to  heaven. 

The  air  is  filled  with  strange  sounds,  and  the  five  or  sir 
hundred  thousand  Hindus  who  have  come  from  all  parts 
of  India  to  see  these  demi-gods,  as  they  are  esteemed, 
prostrate  themselves  flat  in  the  dust,  calling  upon  the  souls 
of  their  ancestors. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

GRAND   COUNCIL. 


In  the  present  chapter  we  will  merely  give  a  few  verses 
from  the  Agrouchada-Parikchai  treating  of  the  Supreme 

Council. 

* 


* 


"Seventy  Brahmins  more  than  seventy  years  old  are 
chosen  from  among  the  Nirvanys  to  see  that  the  law  of 
the  Lotus,  or  the  occult  science,  is  never  revealed  to  the 
vulgar,  and  that  those  who  have  been  initiated  into  the 
sacred  order  are  not  contaminated  by  the  admission  of 
any  unworthy  person." 

*•       #• 

None  should  be  chosen  unless  they  have  always  prac- 
tised the  ten  virtues,  in  which,  according  to  the  divine 
Manu,  the  performance  of  duty  consists. 


Resignation,  the  action  of  returning  good  for  evil,  tem- 
perance, probity,  purity,  chastity,  the  subjugation  of  the 
senses,  a  knowledge  of  the  sacred  scriptures,  that  of  the 
supreme  soul,  the  worship  of  the  truth,  abstinence  from 
anger — such  are  the  principles  which  should  be  the  rule  of 
conduct  of  a  true  Nirvany. 


He  who  is  called  to  rule  over  others  should  first  yield 
obedience  to  all  the  precepts  of  the  sacred  books. 


74  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

He  should  not  desire  death ;  he  should  not  desire  life  ; 
like  the  reaper  who  patiently  waits  at  evening  for  his 
wages  at  his  master's  door,  he  should  wait  till  his  time  has 
come. 


He  should  purify  his  steps  by  taking  heed  where  he 
sets  his  foot ;  he  should  purify  the  water  he  drinks,  in 
order  that  he  may  not  cause  the  death  of  any  animal ;  he 
should  purify  his  words  by  truth ;  he  should  purify  his 
soul  by  virtue. 


* 
* 


He  should  endure  bad  language,  insults,  and  blows  pa- 
tiently, without  returning  them ;  he  should  carefully  avoid 
cherishing  ill-will  against  any  person  on  account  of  any- 
thing connected  with  this  miserable  body. 


Meditating  upon  the  delights  of  the  supreme  soul,  need- 
ing nothing,  beyond  the  reach  of  any  sensual  desire,  with 
no  society  save  his  own  soul  and  the  thought  of  God,  he 
should  live  here  below  in  the  constant  expectation  of  ever- 
lasting happiness. 

He  should  never  resort  to  places  frequented  by  Grihas- 
tas  or  Pourohitas,  unless  they  have  entirely  renounced  the 
world.  (Manu.) 

He  should  avoid  all  meetings,  even  when  Brahmins  alone 
are  present.  He  should  be  careful,  as  he  regards  his  eter- 
nal salvation,  not  to  resort  to  places  used  for  bird  or  dog 
fights. 

A  wooden  platter,  a  gourd,  an  earthern  vessel,  and  a 
bamboo  basket — such  are  the  pure  utensils  authorized  by 
Manu ;  he  should  keep  nothing  in  the  precious  metals. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  75 

He  should  reflect  that  the  vital  spirit,  after  leaving  the 
Great  All,  undergoes  ten  thousand  million  transformations, 
before  clothing  itself  with  a  human  form. 


He  should  observe  the  incalculable  ills  which  grow  out 
of  the  practice  of  iniquity,  and  the  great  happiness  that 
springs  from  the  practice  of  virtue. 


He  should  bear  constantly  in  mind  the  perfections  and 
invisible  essences  of  a  Paramatma,  the  great  soul,  which  is 
present  in  all  bodies,  the  lowest  as  well  as  the  highest. 


He  should  know  that  an  atom  is  an  exact  representation 
of  the  Great  All. 


The  Nirvany  should  expiate  his  faults  by  solitary  reflec- 
tion, by  meditation,  by  the  repression  of  every  sensual  de- 
sire, by  meritorious  austerity  ;  he  should  destroy  all  the 
imperfections  of  his  nature  that  may  be  opposed  to  the 
divine  nature. 


Such  is  the  rule  of  conduct  by  which  those  Sannyassis- 
Nirvanys  are  governed  who  aspire  to  enter  the  Supreme 
Council.  It  possesses  the  largest  disciplinary  powers  in 
order  to  prevent  the  divulgation  of  the  mysteries  of  initia- 
tion. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  terrible  penalties  it  is 

commanded  to  inflict. 

•x- 
*       # 

Whoever  has  been  initiated,  no  matter  what  may  be  the 
degree  to  which  he  may  belong,  and  shall  reveal  the  sacred 
formula,  shall  be  put  to  death. 


76*  OCCULT  SCIENCE   IN  INDIA. 

Whoever  has  been  initiated  into  the  third  degree  and 
shall  reveal  the  superior  truths  he  has  been  tanght,  to  the 
candidates  for  initiation  into  the  second  degree  before  the 
proper  time,  shall  suffer  death. 


"Whoever  has  been  initiated  into  the  second  degree  and 
shall  act  likewise  with  those  who  have  been  initiated  into 
the  first  degree,  is  declared  impure  for  the  period  of  seven 
years,  and  when  that  time  has  elapsed,  he  shall  be  turned 
back  to  the  lower  class  (the  first  degree). 

* 

#  # 

"Whoever  has  been  initiated  into  the  first  degree,  and 
shall  divulge  the  secrets  of  his  initiation  to  the  members 
of  the  other  castes,  who  are  forever  debarred  from  know- 
ing them,  as  though  they  were  contained  in  a  sealed  book, 
shall  be  deprived  of  sight,  and  after  his  tongue  and  both 
hands  have  been  cut  off,  in  order  that  he  may  not  make  an 
improper  use  of  what  he  has  learned,  he  shall  be  expelled 
from  the  temple,  as  well  as  from  his  caste. 

•* 

*  * 

Any  one  belonging  to  the  three  lower  castes,  who  shall 
gain  admission  to  the  secret  asylums,  or  shall  surrepti- 
tiously acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  formula  of  evocation, 
shall  be  burned  to  death. 


If  a  virgin  should  do  so,  she  shall  be  confined  in  th* 
temple  and  consecrated  to  the  worship  of  fire.  (Agrou- 
chada-Parikchai.) 

In  addition  to  its  attributes  as  an  initiatory  tribunal, 
the  council  of  the  elders  also  had  charge  of  administering 
the  pagoda  property,  from  which  it  made  provision  for 
the  wants  of  its  members,  of  the  three  classes,  who  lived 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  77 

entirely  in  common.  It  also  directed  the  wanderings  of 
the  Fakirs,  who  have  charge  of  the  exterior  manifesta- 
tions of  occult  power. 

*       * 
The  Brahmatma  was  elected  by  it  from  its  own  number. 


CHAPTEE  X. 

THE   ELECTION    OF   THE   BRAHMATMA. 

I  have  not  much  to  add  to  what  I  have  already  said 
about  the  Brahmatma. 

The  requisite  qualifications  for  the  position  were  that 
the  candidate  should  have  been  initiated,  that  he  should 
have  taken  the  vow  of  chastity,  and  that  he  should  be  a 
member  of  the  Supreme  Council. 

That  this  vow  was  a  serious  matter  will  be  readily  un- 
derstood when  it  is  known  that  any  Brahmin  taking  it  in 
the  commencement  of  his  career  must  necessarily  per- 
severe until  he  arrives  at  the  dignity  of  Yoguy,  unless  he 
wishes  to  repeat  upon  earth  a  series  of  transformations. 
Not  having  paid  the  debt  of  his  ancestors,  by  the  birth  of 
a  son,  who  can  continue  his  genealogical  line  and  officiate 
at  his  funeral,  he  would  be  obliged  to  come  back  after 
death,  under  a  new  human  envelope,  to  accomplish  that 
final  duty. 

The  Yoguys,  or  members  of  the  Council  of  Seventy,  by 
reason  of  their  high  degree  of  sanctity,  had  no  new  trans- 
migrations to  undergo:  it  was  a  matter  of  indifference 
whether  they  had  be«n  heads  of  families  or  whether  they 
had  always  maintained  their  chastity.  But  in  view  of  the 
small  number  admitted  into  this  sanhedrim,  if  we  may  so 
call  it,  the  Brahmin  who  should  pronounce  this  terrible 
vow,  as  it  is  termed  in  the  book  of  the  Pitris,  at  the  close 
of  his  novitiate,  was  in  danger  of  having  to  go  through  a 
succession  of  new  lives,  from  the  first  monad,  by  which 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  79 

the  smallest  particle  of  moss  is  animated,  to  man,  who  is, 
so  far,  the  most  perfect  expression  of  the  vital  form. 

While  the  Brahmatma  could  only  be  chosen  from 
among  those  Yoguys  who  had  taken  the  vow  of  chastity, 
his  election  was  not  due  to  any  supposed  degree  of  sanc- 
tity on  his  part  resulting  therefrom,  for  he  had  hardly 
been  elected,  when,  notwithstanding  his  advanced  age  of 
eighty  years,  in  order  that  his  election  might  be  held  valid, 
he  had  to  furnish  evidence  of  his  virile  power  in  connec- 
tion with  one  of  the  virgins  of  the  Pagoda,  who  was  given 
him  as  a  bride. 

If  a  male  child  sprang  from  this  union  he  was  placed  in 
a  wicker  basket,  and  turned  adrift  upon  the  river  to  float 
with  the  current.  If  perchance  he  was  washed  ashore  he 
was  carried  to  the  temple,  where  he  was  at  once,  and  by 
virtue  of  that  very  fact,  regarded  as  having  been  initiated 
into  the  third  degree.  From  his  earliest  childhood,  all 
the  secret  mentrams,  or  formulas  of  evocation,  were  made 
known  to  him. 

If,  however,  the  child  floated  down  the  stream  with  the 
current,  he  was  rejected  as  a  Pariah,  and  handed  over  to 
the  people  of  that  caste  to  be  reared  by  them. 

We  never  could  discover  the  origin  of  this  singular  cus- 
tom. Upon  comparing  other  ancient  usages  with  the 
manners  and  customs  of  the  sacerdotal  castes  in  Egypt, 
which  are  so  similar  in  many  respects  to  those  of  the  In- 
dian temples,  we  have  often  asked  ourselves  the  following 
questions,  which  we  now  propound  for  the  reader's  consid- 
eration : 

Might  not  Moses,  the  leader  of  the  Hebraic  revolution, 
have  been  a  son  of  the  Egyptian  high  priest,  who  stood  at 
the  head  of  the  order  of  the  initiated,  and  might  he  not 
have  been  brought  to  the  temple,  because  he  had  been 
cast  ashore  by  the  Nile  ? 

Might  not  his  brother  Aaron,  on  the  contrary,  have  been 
cast  aside  as  one  of  the  servile  class,  because  when  he  was 


80  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

get  adrift  likewise  upon  the  river  he  floated  along  with 
the  current  without  being  cast  ashore  ? 

May  we  not  regard  the  friendship  of  the  two  brothers 
for  each  other,  when  informed  subsequently  of  their  com- 
mon origin,  as  one  of  the  causes  that  impelled  Moses  to 
abandon  the  sacerdotal  caste,  of  which  he  was  a  member, 
in  order  to  place  himself  at  the  head  of  the  Egyptian 
slaves,  and  lead  them  into  the  desert  in  search  of  that 
promised  land  which  the  pariahs,  helots,  and  outcasts  of 
every  degree  have  always  looked  forward  to  in  their 
dreams  as  the  sunny  land  of  peace  and  liberty  ? 

We  suggest  the  question,  however,  we  repeat,  merely  as 
a  supposition.  Perhaps  ethnographic  science,  by  which 
the  second  half  of  the  present  century  has  been  so  brill- 
iantly illustrated,  will  show,  some  day,  that  it  is  something 
more. 


CHAPTEK  XL 

THE   YOGTIYS. 

Previous  to  a  more  thorough  investigation  into  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Pitris,  and  the  external  manifestations  by 
whose  aid  the  Hindus  attempt  to  prove  the  existence  of 
an  occult  power,  we  have  a  few  words  further  to  say  about 
the  Yoguys. 

Although  none  but  those  who  had  passed  through  the 
third  degree  of  initiation  and  were  consequently  members 
of  the  Council  of  the  Elders,  and  who  had  always  ab- 
stained from  carnal  intercourse,  ever  attained  the  degree 
of  Yoguy,  it  was,  says  the  Book  of  Spirits,  a  state  so  sub- 
lime that  those  who  were  versed  in  its  mysteries  were  en- 
titled to  a  greater  degree  of  merit  during  their  lives  than 
most  men  could  acquire  during  ten  million  new  genera- 
tions and  transmigrations. 

"  The  Yoguy  is  as  much  superior  to  those  who  have 
gone  through  the  highest  degree  of  initiation,  as  spirits 
are  superior  to  men." 

"  A  passing  feeling  of  spite  or  enthusiasm,"  says  the 
Agrouchada-Parikchai,  "  should  never  induce  a  Brahmin 
to  take  the  vow  of  chastity.  His  vocation  should  be  the 
well-considered  result  of  careful  examination,  and  its  mo- 
tive should  be,  not  the  ambition  to  rise  to  the  highest  dig- 
nities, but  a  feeling  of  disgust  with  the  world  and  its  pleas- 
ures, and  an  ardent  desire  to  arrive  at  perfection." 

He  should  feel  as  though  he  could  readily  dispense 
with  all  earthly  pleasures  of  whatever  kind  or  degree.  If 
he  still  cherished,  in  his  inmost  heart,  the  slightest  hank- 
6 


82  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

ering  for  those  treasures  that  others  esteem  so  highly,  and 
strive  for  so  ardently,  that  alone  was  quite  enough  to 
counterbalance  any  advantage  or  benefit  that  he  might 
otherwise  have  derived  from  his  penitence. 

When  the  Brahmatchary  has  ended  his  novitiate  and 
has  fully  considered  his  future  course,  he  repairs  to  a 
meeting  consisting  of  all  the  initiates  and  informs  them 
of  his  determination.  He  asks  them  to  proceed  with  the 
usual  forms  and  ceremonies,  to  the  reception  of  the  mo- 
mentous vows  he  desires  to  pronounce. 

On  the  day  appointed  for  this  solemn  act  the  candidate 
first  purifies  himself  by  ablutions  :  he  then  provides  him- 
self with  ten  pieces  of  cloth  large  enough  to  cover  his 
shoulders.  Four  of  these  are  intended  for  his  own  use, 
while  the  other  six  are  given  as  presents  to  the  officiating 
Pourohitas. 

The  chief  Guru  who  presides  at  the  ceremony,  hands 
him  a  bamboo  stick  containing  seven  joints,  some  lotus 
flowers,  and  powdered  sandal-wood,  and  whispers  in  his 
ear  certain  mentrams  of  evocation,  which  are  only  made 
known  to  persons  in  his  condition. 

This  stick  is  not  intended  to  help  support  his  steps  or  to 
be  of  any  assistance  to  him  in  walking.  It  is  the  magic 
wand  used  in  divination  and  all  the  occult  phenomena. 

It  is  involuntarily  suggestive  of  the  rod  of  Moses, 
Aaron,  Elisha,  and  all  the  prophets,  of  the  augural  wand, 
and  of  the  seven-knotted  wand  of  the  Fauns,  Sylvans,  and 
Cynics. 

When  the  ceremony  is  finished,  the  Yoguy  takes  up  his 
magic  wand,  a  calabash  for  drinking  purposes,  and  a  ga- 
zelle's skin,  to  be  used  as  a  bed.  These  articles  comprise 
his  whole  store,  and  he  never  leaves  them  ;  they  are  the 
omnium  mecum  porto  of  the  Stoics.  He  then  depart3, 
repeating  the  magical  formulas  which  he  has  just  learned 
from  the  superior  Guru. 

In   addition   to    the    usual   ablutions,  ceremonies,  and 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  83 

prayers,  which  he  has  to  perform,  like  all  who  have  been 
initiated,  the  following  prescriptions   are  imposed  upon 

him. 

•* 
•*       * 

"  Every  morning  after  performing  his  ablutions  he  should 
smear  his  entire  body  with  ashes ;  others  only  rubbed  their 
foreheads.  Christianity  still  retains  a  symbolic  remnant 
of  this  ceremony — homo  pulvis  es,  etc. 

"  He  should  only  eat  daily,  after  sunset,  as  much  rice  as 
he  can  hold  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand. 

"  He  should  abandon  the  use  of  betel. 

"  He  should  avoid  the  company  of  women  and  he  should 
not  even  look  at  them. 

"  Once  a  month  he  should  have  his  head  and  face  shaved. 

"  He  should  wear  only  wooden  sandals. 

"  He  should  live  by  alms." 

"  Although  a  Yoguy,"  says  the  work  to  which  we  have 
referred  as  our  guide,  "  has  the  right  to  demand  alms,  it  is 
more  becoming  for  him  to  receive  them  without  asking. 
Consequently,  when  he  is  hungry,  he  should  present  him- 
self among  this  world's  people,  without  saying  anything 
or  telling  them  what  he  wants.  If  anything  is  given  to 
him  voluntarily,  he  should  receive  it  with  an  air  of  in- 
difference, and  without  expressing  his  thanks.  If  nothing 
is  offered,  he  should  withdraw  quietly,  without  expressing 
anger  or  dissatisfaction  ;  neither  should  he  make  any  com- 
plaint if  anything  that  is  given  him  is  not  to  his  taste." 

"  He  should  not  sit  down  to  eat. 

"  He  should  build  a  hermitage  by  the  side  of  a  river  or 
tank,  in  order  that  he  may  perform  his  ablutions  with 
greater  facility." 

"  When  travelling,  he  should  abide  nowhere,  and  should 
only  pass  through  populous  places. 

"  He  should  look  at  all  men  alike,  and  should  regard 
himself  as  superior  to  anything  that  may  happen.  He 
should  look  upon  the  various  revolutions  by  which  the 


84  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

world  is  agitated  and  powerful  empires  are  sometimes 
overturned,  as  matters  of  perfect  indifference  to  him." 

"  His  only  care  should  be  to  acquire  the  spirit  of  wisdom, 
and  that  degree  of  spirituality  by  means  of  which  he  will 
finally  be  reunited  to  the  Divinity,  from  whom  all  creatures 
and  passions  tend  to  keep  us  apart.  In  order  to  accom- 
plish that  object,  he  should  have  his  senses  under  the  most 
perfect  control,  and  entirely  subdue  the  sentiments  of 
anger,  envy,  avarice,  lust,  and  all  disturbing  and  licentious 
thoughts.  Otherwise  he  will  derive  no  benefit  whatever 
from  having  taken  the  vow  or  from  his  repeated  mortifi- 
cations." 

Every  evening,  the  Yoguy  repairs  to  the  pagoda,  with 
his  magic  wand,  his  calabash,  and  his  gazelle's  skin,  where 
he  passes  several  hours  in  contemplation  in  the  most  pro- 
found darkness.  He  there  endeavors  to  accustom  his  soul 
to  forsake  his  body,  in  order  that  it  may  hold  converse 
with  the  Pitris  in  infinite  space.  He  ends  the  night  with 
the  study  of  manifestations  and  incantations,  in  which  he 
is  further  instructed  by  the  superior  Guru. 

"When,  in  his  eightieth  year,  in  consequence  of  his  su- 
perior sanctity,  or  for  some  other  reason,  he  has  been 
chosen  by  the  Council  for  the  post  of  Brahmatma,  he  goes 
back  again,  so  to  speak,  to  life,  and  spends  his  last  years 
in  the  most  unbridled  indulgence  and  dissipation.  We 
have  often  heard  the  Brahmins  say,  though  we  have  had 
no  opportunity  to  verify  their  statements,  that,  in  con- 
sequence of  their  long  practice  of  asceticism,  the  Yoguy  s 
often  preserved  all  the  virile  powers  of  mature  age  until 
far  advanced  in  life,  and  it  was  no  unusual  thing  for  Brah- 
matrnas  to  live  much  more  than  a  hundred  years,  and  leave 
behind  them  a  numerous  progeny. 

We  have  now  concluded  these  brief  notices  with  regard 
to  those  who  have  passed  through  the  various  degrees  of 
initiation.  It  was  necessary  that  we  should  give  them,  in 
order  that  our  main  subject  might  be  more  fully  under- 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  85 

stood.  Though  some  of  the  details  are  rather  dry,  we 
hope  that  our  readers  will  give  them  their  careful  atten- 
tion. They  are  essential  to  the  proper  understanding  of 
what  is  to  follow. 

One  word  more,  however,  about  the  Yoguy-s  seven- 
knotted  stick. 

There  is  a  certain  degree  of  sacredness  attending  the 
number  seven  in  India.  We  may  judge  of  the  veneration 
in  which  it  is  held  by  the  Brahmin?,  by  the  many  objects 
and  places  the  number  of  which  is  always  divisible  by 
seven,  to  which  they  attach  an  extraordinary  magical  power. 

Some  of  them  are  as  follows : 

Sapta-Richis,  the  seven  sages  of  India. 

Sapta-Poura,  the  seven  celestial  cities. 

Sapta-Douipa,  the  seven  sacred  islands. 

Sapta-Samoudra,  the  seven  oceans. 

Sapta-Xady,  the  seven  sacred  rivers. 

Sapta-Parvatta,  the  seven  holy  mountains. 

Sapta-Arania,  the  seven  sacred  deserts. 

Sapta-Vrukcha,  the  seven  celestial  trees. 

Sapta-Coula,  the  seven  castes. 

Sapta-Loca,  the  seven  superior  and  inferior  worlds,  etc. 

According  to  the  Brahmins,  the  mystical  meaning  of 
the  number  seven  contains  an  allegorical  representation  of 
the  unrevealed  God,  the  initial  trinity,  and  the  manifested 
trinity;  thus: 

Zyaus 

(The  Unrevealed  God). 
The  immortal  germ  of  everything  that  exists. 

The  initial  trinity, 
Nara — Nari — Yirad  j . 

Zyaus,  having  divided  his  body  into  two  parts,  male 
and  female,  or  Nara  and  Nari,  produced  Viradj,  the  Word, 
the  Creator, 

The  manifested  trinity, 
Brahma — Yischnou — Siva. 


86  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

The  initial  trinity,  which  was  purely  creative,  changed 
into  the  manifested  trinity,  as  soon  as  the  universe  had 
come  out  of  chaos,  in  order  to  create  perpetually,  to  pre- 
serve eternally,  and  to  consume  unceasingly. 

"We  should  not  forget  that  the  Jews  also  attached  a  mys- 
tical meaning  to  the  number  seven,  which  shows  indisputa- 
bly its  origin. 

According  to  the  Bible : 

The  world  was  created  in  seven  days. 

Land  should  rest  every  seven  years. 

The  Sabbatic  year  of  jubilee  returned  every  seven  times 
seven  years. 

The  great  golden  candlestick  in  the  temple  had  seven 
branches,  the  seven  candles  of  which  represented  the  seven 
planets. 

Seven  trumpets  were  blown  by  seven  priests  for  seven 
successive  days  around  Jericho,  and  the  walls  of  that  city 
fell  down  on  the  seventh  day  after  the  Israelitish  army 
had  marched  round  it  for  the  seventh  time. 

In  John's  Apocalypse,  we  find : 

The  seven  churches. 

The  seven  chandeliers. 

The  seven  stars. 

The  seven  lamps. 

The  seven  seals. 

The  seven  angels. 

The  seven  vials. 

The  seven  plagues. 

In  like  manner,  the  Prophet  Isaiah,  desiring  to  give  an 
idea  of  the  glory  surrounding  Jehovah,  says  : 

"  That  it  is  seven  times  greater  than  that  of  the  sun, 
and  equal  to  the  light  of  seven  days  combined." 

We  shall  now  see  in  how  many  points  and  how  closely, 
the  Jewish  Cabala  and  the  Hindu  doctrine  of  the  Pitris, 
resemble  each  other. 


SECOND    PART. 


THE  PHILOSOPHICAL  TENETS  OF  THE 

INDIAN  INITIATES. 

REGARDING    THE    FIRST    CAUSE,  AND    THE 

PART    PERFORMED    BY  THE  SPIRITS 

IN  WORLDLY  MATTERS. 


Regarding  the  ten  Pradjapatis,  or  lords'  of  creatures,  who  are  Mar- 
itchi  —  Atri  —  Augiras  —  Poulastya  —  Poulaha  —  Cratou  —  Pratchetas — 
Vasichta — Brighou — Narada,  they  have  no  beginning,  nor  end,  nor 
time,  nor  space,  for  they  proceed,  from  the  sole  essence  of  the  one 
spirit,  at  a  single  breath.  This  is  a  fatal  secret,  close  thy  mouth  in 
order  that  no  part  of  it  may  be  revealed  to  the  rabble,  and  compress 
thy  brain  so  that  none  of  it  may  get  abroad.  (Agrouchada-Parikchai, 
"  The  Book  of  the  Pitris.") 


THE  PHILOSOPHICAL  DOCTRINES 

OF  THE 

INDIAN  INITIATES. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  DEGREE  OF  SANCTITY  WHICH  THE  INITIATES  MUST  HAVE 
ATTAINED  BEFORE  RECEIVING  THE  SACRED  FORMULA 
AND  THE  FATAL  SECRET. 

In  order  that  there  may  be  no  misunderstanding  as  to 
our  meaning,  we  will  now  define  the  different  attributes 
of  those  who  had  been  admitted  to  the  various  degrees  of 
initiation. 

It  appears  from  what  we  have  already  ascertained  : 

First,  that  those  who  had  been  admitted  into  the  first  de- 
gree of  initiation  were  subjected  to  a  course  of  treatment, 
which  was  designed  to  subdue  their  will  and  enslave  their 
intellect,  and  by  fasting,  mortifications,  privations  of  every 
kind,  and  violent  exercises  in  the  same  circuit,  to  change, 
so  to  speak,  the  direction  of  their  physiological  faculties. 
The  outward  manifestation  of  occult  power  was  the  utmost 
limit  of  the  attainments  of  this  class  of  Brahmins. 

Second,  that  those  who  had  been  initiated  into  the  sec- 
ond degree  went  but  one  step  further  in  the  line  of  evoca- 
tions and  external  phenomena,  and,  while  they  exhibited 


90  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

the  highest  expression  of  manifested  power,  they  never 
arrived  at  the  degree  of  philosophical  initiation. 

Third,  that  those  who  were  initiated  into  the  third  de- 
gree (the  Sanyassis-Mrvanys  and  Yoguys)  alone  were  ad- 
mitted to  a  knowledge  of  the  formulas  behind  which  the 
highest  metaphysical  speculations  were  hidden. 

The  principal  duty  of  persons  of  that  class,  was  to  arrive 
at  a  complete  forgetfulness  of  all  worldly  matters. 

The  sages  of  India  compared  the  passions  to  those  heavy 
clouds  which  sometimes  shut  out  the  view  of  the  sun  en- 
tirely, or  obscure  the  brilliancy  of  its  light;  to  a  violent 
wind,  which  agitates  the  surface  of  the  water  so  that  it 
cannot  reflect  the  splendor  of  the  vault  above ;  to  the  en- 
velope of  the  chrysalis,  which  deprives  it  of  liberty  ;  to  the 
shell  of  certain  fruits,  which  prevent  their  fragrance  from 
diffusing  itself  abroad. 

Yet,  say  they,  the  chrysalis  gnaws  through  its  envelope, 
makes  itself  a  passage,  and  wings  its  way  into  space,  thus 
conquering  air,  light,  and  liberty. 

"  So  it  is  with  the  soul,"  says  the  Agrouchada.  "  Its 
prison  in  the  body  in  which  earthly  troubles  and  tumultu- 
ous passions  keep  it  confined,  is  not  eternal.  After  a  long 
series  of  successive  births,  the  spark  of  wisdom  which  is 
in  it  being  rekindled,  it  will  finally  succeed,  by  the  long- 
continued  practice  of  penitence  and  contemplation,  in 
breaking  all  the  ties  that  bind  it  to  the  earth,  and  will  in- 
crease in  virtue  until  it  has  reached  so  high  a  degree  of 
wisdom  and  spirituality,  that  it  becomes  identified  with  the 
divinity.  Then  leaving  the  body,  which  holds  it  captive, 
its  soars  freely  aloft,  where  it  unites  forever  with  the  first 
principle,  from  which  it  originally  emanated." 

Having  reached  the  third  degree  of  initiation,  it  is  the 
duty  of  the  Brahmin  to  improve,  to  spiritualize  himself 
by  contemplation ;  he  was  supposed  to  pass  through  the 
four  following  states : 

First,  Salokiam. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  91 

Second,  Samipiam. 

Third,  Souaroupiam. 

Fourth,  Sayodjyam. 

Salokiam  signifies  the  only  tie.  In  this  state  the  soul 
seeks  to  lift  itself  in  thought  to  the  celestial  mansion,  and 
to  take  its  place  in  the  presence  of  divinity  itself ;  it  holds 
converse  with  the  Pitris  who  have  gone  before  into  the 
regions  of  everlasting  life,  and  makes  use  of  the  body  as 
an  unconscious  instrument  to  transcribe,  under  the  per- 
manent form  of  writing,  the  sublime  teachings  it  may 
have  received  from  the  shades  of  its  ancestors. 

Samipiam  signifies  proximity.  By  the  exercise  of  con- 
templation and  the  disregard  of  all  earthly  objects,  the 
knowledge  and  idea  of  God  become  more  familiar  to  it.  The 
soul  seems  to  draw  nearer  to  him.  It  becomes  far-seeing 
and  begins  to  witness  marvels,  which  are  not  of  this  world. 

Souaroupiam  signifies  resemblance.  In  the  third  state 
the  soul  gradually  acquires  a  perfect  resemblance  to  the 
divinity,  and  participates  in  all  its  attributes.  It  reads  the 
future,  and  the  universe  has  no  secrets  for  it. 

Sayodjyam  signifies  identity.  The  soul  finally  becomes 
closely  united  to  the  great  soul.  This  last  transformation 
takes  place  only  through  death,  that  is  to  say,  the  entire 
disruption  of  all  material  ties. 

The  work  which  we  are  now  analyzing  explains  the 
passage  of  the  soul  through  these  four  states  by  the  fol- 
lowing comparison : 

"  When  we  wish  to  extract  the  gold  from  a  compound 
mass,  we  shall  never  succeed  if  we  subject  it  to  the  process 
of  fusion  only  once.  It  is  only  by  melting  the  alloy  in  the 
crucible  several  times,  that  we  are  finally  able  to  separate 
the  heterogeneous  particles  of  which  it  is  composed,  and 
release  the  gold  in  all  its  purity." 

The  two  modes  of  contemplation  most  in  use,  are  called 
Sabda-Brahma  and  Sabda-Vischnou,  or  intercourse  with 
Brahma  and  Yischnou. 


92  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

It  is  by  fasting  and  prayer  in  the  forest  and  jungles, 
among  the  wild  beasts,  whom  they  rule  by  the  power  of 
the  pure  agasa  fluid,  and  upon  the  desert  banks  of  torrents, 
that  the  .Nirvanys  (naked)  and  the  Yoguys  (contemplative) 
prepare  themselves  for  these  lofty  meditations. 

There  have  been  critical  periods  in  the  history  of  India, 
when  the  members  of  the  sacerdotal  caste  were  called 
upon  to  strike  a  decisive  blow,  in  order  to  bring  the  peo- 
ple back  to  their  duty  and  reduce  them  to  submission.  At 
such  times  they  came  flocking  in  from  their  habitations  in 
the  deserts,  or  their  sombre  haunts  in  the  interiors  of  the 
temples,  to  preach  to  the  masses  the  duty  of  obedience  and 
self-renunciation. 

They  were  accompanied  by  tigers  and  panthers,  which 
were  as  gentle  and  submissive  as  so  many  lambs,  and  they 
performed  the  most  extraordinary  phenomena,  causing 
rivers  to  overflow  their  banks,  the  light  of  the  sun  to  pale, 
or  words  denouncing  the  Rajahs  who  persecuted  the  Brah- 
mins to  appear  upon  the  walls  of  their  palaces,  through 
some  unknown  power. 

The  study  of  philosophic  truth  does  not  relieve  them 
from  the  necessity  of  the  tapassas,  or  bodily  mortifications. 
On  the  contrary,  it  would  seem  that  they  carry  them  to 
the  greatest  extremes. 

Once  a  week  some  sit  naked  in  the  centre  of  a  circle 
formed  by  four  blazing  fires  which  are  constantly  fed  by 
neophytes. 

Others  cause  themselves  to  be  buried  up  to  their  necks  in 
the  hot  sand,  leaving  their  bare  skulls  exposed  to  the  blaz- 
ing sun. 

Others  still  stand  upon  one  foot  until  the  leg  is  swollen 
and  covered  with  ulcers. 

Everything  that  affects  or  consumes  the  body,  every- 
thing that  tends  to  its  annihilation,  without  actually  de- 
stroying it,  is  thought  to  be  meritorious. 

Every  evening,  the  Nirvanys  and  Yoguys  lay  aside  their 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IK   HSTDIA.  93 

exercises  and  studies  at  sunset,  and  go  into  the  country  to 
meditate. 

Several  centuries  previous  to  the  present  era,  however, 
these  bodily  mortifications  had  assumed  a  character  of  un- 
usual severity. 

To  the  contemplative  dreamers  of  the  earliest  ages  in 
India,  who  devoted  the  whole  of  their  time  to  meditation, 
and  never  engaged  in  practices  involving  physical  suffering 
oftener  than  once  a  week,  had  succeeded  a  class  of  bigoted 
fanatics,  who  placed  no  limit  to  their  religious  enthu- 
siasm, and  inflicted  upon  themselves  the  most  terrible 
tortures. 

A  spiritual  reaction,  however,  occurred,  and  those  who 
had  been  initiated  into  the  higher  degrees  took  that  op- 
portunity to  abandon  the  practice  of  the  tapassas,  or  cor- 
poral mortification.  They  sought  rather  to  impress  the 
imagination  of  the  people  by  excessive  severity  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  laws  of  nature.  A  profound  humility,  an 
ardent  desire  to  live  unknown  by  the  world,  and  to  have 
the  divinity  as  the  only  witness  to  the  purity  of  their 
morals,  took  possession  of  them,  and  though  they  con- 
tinued the  practice  of  excessive  abstemiousness,  they  did 
so  perhaps  more  that  they  might  not  seem  to  be  in  conflict 
with  the  formal  teachings  of  the  sacred  scriptures. 

That  kind  of  austerity  is  the  only  one  now  enjoined 
upon  all  classes  of  initiates. 

The  Fakirs  appear  to  have  gradually  monopolized  all 
the  old  modes  of  inflicting  pain,  and  have  carried  them  to 
the  greatest  extremes.  They  display  the  most  unbounded 
fanaticism  in  their  self-inflicted  tortures  upon  all  great 
public  festivals. 

Ever  since  the  temporal  power  of  the  Brahmins  was 
overthrown,  the  higher  class  of  initiates  have  been,  in 
short,  nothing  more  than  cenobites,  or  hermits,  who,  either 
in  the  desert  or  in  the  subterranean  crypts  of  the  temples, 
spend  their  lives  in  contemplation,  prayer,  sacrifice,  the 


94  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

study  of  the  most  elevated  philosophical  problems,  and 
the  evocation  of  spirits,  whom  they  regard  as  intermediate 
beings  between  God  and  man. 

The  spirits  with  whom  they  communicate  are  the  shades 
of  holy  personages,  who  have  quit  the  world  after  leading 
a  life  of  privation,  good  works,  and  virtuous  example :  they 
are  the  objects  of  a  regular  worship,  and  are  invoked  as 
the  spiritual  directors  of  their  brethren,  who  are  still 
bound  by  the  ties  of  their  earthly  existence. 

The  earliest  Christians  with  their  apparitions,  their 
apostles  who  received  the  gift  of  tongues,  their  thauma- 
turgists,  and  their  exorcists,  only  continued  a  tradition 
which  has  existed  from  the  earliest  times  without  inter- 
ruption. There  is  no  difference  between  the  disciples  of 
Peter  and  Paul  and  the  initiates  of  India,  between  the 
saints  of  the  Christianity  of  the  Catacombs  and  the  Pitris 
of  the  Brahmins. 

Subsequently,  the  chiefs,  in  the  interest  of  their  tem- 
poral and  religious  domination,  discouraged  both  the  be- 
lief and  practice,  and,  by  slow  degrees,  the  old  system  of 
ancient  worship  assumed  the  more  modern  form  with 
which  we  are  familiar. 

It  was  not  until  they  had  passed  through  the  first  three 
of  the  contemplative  states  to  which  we  have  alluded  that 
the  Nirvanys  and  Yoguys  were  admitted  to  a  knowlegde  of 
the  higher  philosophical  studies,  and  they  were  thus  made 
acquainted  with  the  secrets  of  human  destiny,  both  present 
and  future. 

When  he  who  had  been  initiated  into  the  third  degree 
had  passed  the  age  of  eighty,  and  was  not  a  member  of  the 
Supreme  Council,  who  all  remained  in  active  life  until  their 
death,  he  was  supposed  to  have  abandoned  his  pagoda,  or 
the  hermitage  that  he  occupied,  to  have  renounced  all 
pious  practices,  ceremonies,  sacrifices,  and  evocations,  and 
to  have  retired  to  some  lonely  and  uninhabited  spot,  there 
to  await  the  coming  of  death.  He  no  longer  received 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  95 

food  or  nourishment,  except  by  chance,  and  passed  away 
in  the  contemplation  of  the  infinite. 


"  Having  abandoned  all  his  duties,"  says  Mann,  "  and 
relinquished  the  direction  of  the  sacrifices  and  the  per- 
formance of  the  five  ablutions,  having  wiped  away  all  his 
faults  by  the  prescribed  purifications,  having  curbed  all  his 
organs  and  mastered  the  vedas  to  their  fullest  extent,  he 
should  refer  all  ceremonies  and  the  offering  of  the  funeral 
repast  to  his  son  for  performance." 


Having  thus  abandoned  every  religious  observance, 
every  act  of  austere  devotion,  applying  his  mind  solely  to 
the  contemplation  of  the  great  first  cause,  exempt  from 
every  evil  desire,  his  soul  already  stands  at  the  threshold 
of  swarga,  although  his  mortal  envelope  still  palpitates 
and  flutters  like  the  last  flames  of  an  expiring  lamp. 


CHAPTER  II. 

• 

THE   SUPERIOR   GURU — THE   SACRED   DECADE. 

Upon  reaching  the  third  degree  of  initiation,  the  Brah- 
mins were  divided  into  tens,  and  a  superior  Guru,  or  pro- 
fessor of  the  occult  sciences,  was  placed  over  each  decade. 
He  was  revered  by  his  disciples  as  a  god. 

The  following  is  a  portrait  of  this  personage,  as  drawn 
in  the  Vedanta-sara : 

"  The  true  Guru  is  a  man  who  is  familiar  with  the 
practice  of  every  virtue  ;  who,  with  the  sword  of  wisdom, 
has  lopped  off  all  the  branches  arid  cut  through  all  the 
roots  of  the  tree  of  evil,  and,  with  the  light  of  reason,  has 
dispelled  the  thick  darkness  by  which  he  is  enveloped ; 
who,  though  seated  upon  a  mountain  of  passions,  meets 
all  their  assaults  with  a  heart  as  firm  as  diamond ;  who 
conducts  himself  with  dignity  and  independence  ;  who 
has  the  bowels  of  a  father  for  all  his  disciples ;  who  makes 
no  distinction  between  his  friends  and  his  enemies,  whom 
he  treats  with  equal  kindness  and  consideration  ;  who 
looks  upon  gold  and  jewels  with  as  much  indifference  as  if 
they  were  bits  of  iron  and  potsherds,  without  caring  more 
for  one  than  for  the  other  ;  and  who  tries  with  the  great- 
est care  to  remove  the  dense  darkness  of  ignorance,  in 
which  the  rest  of  mankind  is  plunged." 

If  we  had  not  positively  stated  in  a  former  part  of  this 
work  (which  is  simply  designed  to  give  the  reader  some 
idea  of  the  doctrines  and  practices  of  the  believers  in  the 
Pitris  of  India)  that  we  should  refrain  from  the  expres- 
sion of  any  personal  opinion,  we  might  well  ask  ourselves 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  97 

whether  modern  Hierophants,  with  all  their  intolerance 
and  all  their  pride  in  the  morality  they  preach,  have  any- 
thing to  present  which  will  compare  with  the  precepts  here 
given  in  this,  which  is  one  of  the  oldest  passages  in  the 
Brahminical  books.  Modern  Gurus  know  full  well  the 
value  of  gold  and  precious  stones,  and  as  for  the  ignorance 
of  the  masses,  we  know  what  means  they  take  to  remove 
it. 

With  the  aid  of  the  Agrouchada-Parikchai,  we  will  now 
take  a  complete  survey  of  the  higher  course  of  philosophy 
pursued  by  the  sacred  decade  under  the  direction  of  its 
Guru. 

7 


CHAPTER  in. 

THE   GURU — EVOCATIONS. 

From  noon  to  sunset  the  sacred  decade  was  under  the 
orders  of  the  Master  of  Celestial  Science,  or  Philosophy : 
from  sunset  to  midnight  it  passed  under  the  direction  of 
the  Guru  of  Evocations,  who  taught  the  manifested  part 
of  the  occult  sciences. 

The  Book  of  Spirits  in  our  possession  is  silent  as  to  the 
formulas  of  evocations  taught  by  them.  According  to 
some  Brahmins,  the  most  fearful  penalties  were  inflicted 
upon  the  rash  man  who  should  venture  to  make  known  to 
a  stranger  the  third  book  of  the  Agrouchada,  treating  of 
those  matters.  According  to  others,  these  formulas  were 
never  written :  they  were  and  still  are  verbally  communi- 
cated to  the  adepts,  in  a  suppressed  voice. 

It  is  also  claimed,  though  we  have  had  no  opportunity 
to  verify  the  truth  of  the  assertion,  that  a  peculiar  lan- 
guage is  used  to  express  the  formulas  of  evocation,  and 
that  it  was  forbidden,  under  penalty  of  death,  to  trans- 
late them  into  the  vulgar  tongue.  The  few  expressions 
that  have  come  to  our  knowledge,  such  as  Urhom,  Ifhom^ 
SWrhum^  Shcfrhim,  are  very  extraordinary  and  do  not  seem 
to  belong  to  any  known  idiom. 

The  Book  of  the  Pitris  gives  the  following  portrait  of 
the  Guru  of  Evocations : 

"  The  Guru  of  Evocations  is  a  man  who  knows  no  other 
god  than  himself,  since  he  has  all  the  gods  and  spirits  at 
his  command."  The  term  "  gods  "  is  here  used  as  mean- 
ing the  superior  spirits.  "  He  offers  worship  to  Zyaus 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  99 

alone,  the  type  spirit,  the  primordial  germ,  the  universal 
womb.  At  his  voice,  rivers  and  seas  forsake  their  beds, 
mountains  become  valleys  and  valleys  become  mountains. 
Fire,  rain,  and  tempests  are  in  his  service.  He  knows  the 
past,  the  present,  and  the  future.  The  stars  obey  him, 
and,  armed  with  his  seven-knotted  stick,  he  is  able  to  con- 
fine all  the  evil  spirits  in  the  universe  within  a  single 
magic  circle."  (Agrouchada-Parikchai.) 

After  examining  the  philosophical  doctrines  of  the 
believers  in  spirits,  the  Pitris,  we  can  only  study  the 
teachings  of  the  Guru  of  Evocations,  in  the  total  absence 
of  documents,  as  we  have  already  taken  occasion  to  say,  in 
the  manifestation  of  occult  power,  or  exterior  phenomena, 
produced  by  his  disciples,  the  Mrvanys  and  Yoguys, 


CHAPTEE  IY. 

THE    FRONTAL    SIGN    OF    THE    INITIATES   ACCORDING    TO    THE 
AGROUCHADA-PARIKCHAI. 

Every  morning  those  who  have  been  initiated  into  the 
third  degree,  after  terminating  their  ablutions,  and  before 

going  to  the  pagoda 
to  listen  to  the  dis- 
course on  the  occult 
sciences,  should  trace 
upon  their  foreheads, 
under  the  direction 
of  the  Gurus,  the 
accompanying  sign, 
which  is  a  symbol  of 
the  highest  initiation. 
The  circle  indi- 
cates infinity,  the  study  of  which  is  the  object  of  the  oc- 
cult sciences. 

The  border  of  triangles  signifies  that  everything  in  na- 
ture is  subject  to  the  laws  of  the  Trinity. 
Brahma — Vischnou — Siva. 
The  germ — The  womb — The  offspring. 
The  seed— The  earth— The  plant. 
The  father— The  mother— The  child. 
The  serpent  is  a  symbol  of  wisdom  and  perseverance. 
It  also  indicates  that  the  multitude  are  not  to  be  admitted 
to  a  revelation  of  the  higher  truths,  which  often   lead 
weak  minds  to  insanity   and  death.     The  seven-knotted 
stick  represents  the  seven  degrees  of  the  power  of  evoca- 
tion and  external  manifestation,  which  form  the  subject 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  Ifr  Ltfm.1.      * .'«'.'.'      :  « 

of  study  to  those  who  have  been  initiated  into  the  various 
degrees  with  which  we  are  acquainted : 

Grihasta — or  House-Master. 

Pourohita — or  Priest  of  Popular  Evocations. 

Fakir — Performing. 

Sanyassis—  Superior  Exorcists. 

Nirvanys — Naked  Evocators. 

Yoguy  s—  Contemplative. 

Brahmatina — Supreme  Chief. 


CHAPTER  Y. 

THE   INTERPRETATION   OF   THE   VEDA8   AND   OTHER   WORKS    OF 
SACRED    SCRIPTURES. 

Before  searching  the  Book  of  the  Pitris  in  order  to  see 
what  it  teaches,  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  say  a  few  words 
regarding  the  question  of  how  the  sacred  books  are  to  be 
interpreted.  We  deem  the  matter  of  sufficient  import- 
ance to  make  it  the  subject  of  a  separate  chapter.  It 
stands  at  the  very  threshold  of  our  subject  like  a  sentinel 
on  duty. 

On  the  first  palm  leaf  composing  the  second  part  of  the 
work  in  question  we  find  the  following  words  written,  like 
an  inscription,  with  a  sharply  pointed  stick  : 

"  The  sacred  scriptures  ought  not  to  be  taken  in  their 
apparent  meaning,  as  in  the  case  of  ordinary  books.  Of 
what  use  would  it  be  to  forbid  their  revelation  to  the  pro- 
fane if  their  secret  meaning  were  contained  in  the  literal 
sense  of  the  language  usually  employed  ? 

"  As  the  soul  is  contained  in  the  body, 

"  As  the  almond  is  hidden  by  its  envelope, 

"  As  the  sun  is  veiled  by  the  clouds, 

"  As  the  garments  hide  the  body  from  view, 

"  As  the  egg  is  contained  in  its  shell, 

"  And  as  the  germ  rests  within  the  interior  of  the  seed, 

"  So  the  sacred  law  has  its  body,  its  envelope,  its  cloud, 
its  garment,  its  shell,  which  hide  it  from  the  knowledge 
of  the  world. 

"  All  that  has  been,  all  that  is,  everything  that  will  be, 
everything  that  ever  has  been  said,  are  to  be  found  in  the 
Vedas.  But  the  Yedas  do  not  explain  themselves,  and 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  103 

they  can  only  be  understood  when  the  Guru  has  removed 
the  garment  with  which  they  are  clothed,  and  scattered 
the  clouds  that  veil  their  celestial  light. 

"  The  law  is  like  the  precious  pearl  that  is  buried  in  the 
bosom  of  the  ocean.  It  is  not  enough  to  find  the  oyster 
in  which  it  is  enclosed,  but  it  is  also  necessary  to  open  the 
oyster  and  get  the  pearl. 

"  You  who,  in  your  pride,  would  read  the  sacred  scriptures 
without  the  Guru's  assistance,  do  you  even  know  by  what 
letter  of  a  word  you  ought  to  begin  to  read  them — do  you 
know  the  secret  of  the  combination  by  twos  and  threes — 
do  you  know  when  the  final  letter  becomes  an  initial  and 
the  initial  becomes  final  ? 

"  Wo  to  him  who  would  penetrate  the  real  meaning  of 
things  before  his  head  is  white  and  he  needs  a  cane  to 
guide  his  steps." 

These  words  of  the  Agrouchada,  warning  us  against 
conforming  to  the  strict  letter  of  the  sacred  scriptures  of 
India,  remind  us  of  the  following  words,  in  which  Origen 
expresses  himself  like  one  of  the  initiates  in  the  ancient 
temples : 

"If  it  is  incumbent  upon  us  to  adhere  strictly  to  the 
letter,  and  to  understand  what  is  written  in  the  law,  after 
the  manner  of  the  Jews  and  of  the  people,  I  should  blush 
to  acknowledge  openly  that  God  has  given  us  such  laws — . 
I  should  consider  that  human  legislation  was  more  elevated 
and  rational — that  of  Athens,  for  instance,  or  Rome,  or 
Lacedgemon. 

"  What  reasonable  man,  I  ask,  would  ever  believe  that  the 
first,  second,  or  third  day  of  creation,  which  were  divided 
into  days  and  nights,  could  possibly  exist  without  any  sun, 
without  any  moon,  and  without  any  stars,  and  that  during 
the  first  day  there  was  not  even  any  sky  ? 

"Where  shall  we  find  any  one  so  foolish  as  to  believe 
that  God  actually  engaged  in  agriculture  and  planted  trees 


104  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

in  the  garden  of  Eden,  which  was  situated  in  the  East — 
that  one  of  these  trees  was  the  tree  of  life  and  that  an- 
other could  impart  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil  ?  No- 
body, I  think,  will  hesitate  to  consider  these  things  as 
figures  having  a  mysterious  meaning." 

The  old  Jewish  Cabalists,  whose  doctrines,  as  we  have 
seen,  appear  to  have  been  closely  allied  to  those  taught  in 
the  Indian  temples,  expressed  a  similar  opinion  in  the 
following  language : 

"  Wo  to  the  man  who  looks  upon  the  law  as  a  simple 
record  of  events  expressed  in  ordinary  language,  for  if 
really  that  is  all  that  it  contains  we  can  frame  a  law 
much  more  worthy  of  admiration.  If  we  are  to  regard 
the  ordinary  meaning  of  the  words  we  need  only  turn  to 
human  laws  and  we  shall  often  meet  with  a  greater  degree 
of  elevation.  We  have  only  to  imitate  them  and  to  frame 
laws  after  their  model  and  example.  But  it  is  not  so  : 
every  word  of  the  law  contains  a  deep  and  sublime 
mystery."  * 

"  The  texts  of  the  law  are  the  garments  of  the  law :  wo 
to  him  who  takes  these  garments  for  the  law  itself.  This 
is  the  sense  in  which  David  says :  '  My  God,  open  my  eyes 
that  I  may  contemplate  the  marvels  of  thy  law.' 

"  David  referred  to  what  is  concealed  beneath  the  vest- 
ments of  the  law.  There  are  some  foolish  people  who, 
seeing  a  man  covered  with  a  handsome  garment,  look  no 
farther,  and  take  the  garment  for  the  body,  while  there  is 
something  more  precious  still,  and  that  is  the  soul.  The 
law  also  has  its  body.  There  are  the  commandments  which 
may  be  called  the  body  of  the  law,  the  ordinary  record  of 
events  with  which  it  is  mingled  are  the  garments  that 
cover  the  body.  Ordinary  people  usually  only  regard  the 
vestments  and  texts  of  the  law  ;  that  is  all  they  look  at ; 
they  do  not  see  what  is  hidden  beneath  the  garments,  but 

1  A.  Franck's  translation  of  La  Kabbale. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  105 

those  who  are  wiser  pay  no  attention  to  the  vestment,  but 
to  the  body  which  is  clothed  by  it." 

"  In  short,  the  sages,  the  servants  of  the  Supreme  King, 
those  who  inhabit  the  heights  of  Mount  Sinai,  pay  no  re- 
gard to  anything  but  the  soul,  which  lies  at  the  founda- 
tion of  all  the  rest,  which  is  the  law  itself,  and  in  time 
to  come  they  will  be  prepared  to  contemplate  the  soul  of 
that  soul  by  which  the  law  is  inspired. 

"  If  the  law  were  composed  of  words  alone,  such  as  the 
words  of  Esau,  Hagar,  Laban,  and  others,  or  those  which 
were  uttered  by  Balaam's  ass  or  by  Balaam  himself,  then 
why  should  it  be  called  the  law  of  truth,  the  perfect  law, 
the  faithful  witness  of  God  himself  ?  Why  should  the  sage 
esteem  it  as  more  valuable  than  gold  or  precious  stones  ? 

"  But  every  word  contains  a  higher  meaning ;  every 
text  teaches  something  besides  the  events  which  it  seems 
to  describe.  This  superior  law  is  the  more  sacred,  it  is 
the  real  law." 

It  appears  that  the  fathers  of  the  Christian  church,  as 
well  as  the  Jewish  Cabalists  and  the  initiates  in  the  Hindu 
temples,  all  used  the  same  language. 

The  records  of  the  law  veil  its  mystical  meaning  as  the 
garment  covers  the  body,  as  the  clouds  conceal  the  sun. 

The  Book  of  the  Pitris,  which  we  are  about  to  examine, 
claims  to  reveal  the  essence,  the  very  marrow  of  the  vedas 
to  those  who  have  been  initiated,  but  it  is  far  from  clear, 
except  in  the  cosmological  and  philosophical  portion. 
Whenever  it  treats  of  the  rites  of  evocation  and  exorcism 
it  resorts  to  obscure  and  mysterious  formulas,  to  combina- 
tions of  magical  and  occult  letters,  the  hidden  meaning  of 
which,  admitting  that  there  is  a  hidden  meaning,  wrapped 
as  it  is  in  uncouth  and  unknown  words,  is  quite  beyond  our 
comprehension  and  we  have  never  been  able  to  discover  it. 

In  that  portion  which  we  propose  to  analyze,  we  shall 
preserve  the  dialogue  form,  as  the  lessons  of  the  Guru  were 
taught  in  that  manner. 


106  OCCULT  SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

Apart  from  the  belief  in  spirits  and  supernatural  manifes- 
tations to  which  human  reason  does  not  readily  assent,  our 
readers  will  see  that  no  purer  morality  ever  grew  from  a 
more  elevated  system  of  philosophical  speculation. 

Upon  reading  these  pages,  they  will  see  that  antiquity 
has  derived  all  the  scientific  knowledge  of  life  it  possessed 
from  India,  and  the  initiates  of  the  Hindu  temples  were 
very  much  like  Moses,  Socrates,  Plato,  Aristotle,  the  Es- 
senes,  and  the  Christian  apostles. 

Modern  spiritualism  can  add  nothing  to  the  metaphysical 
conceptions  of  the  ancient  Brahmins:  that  is  a  truth  well 
expressed  by  the  illustrious  Cousin  in  the  following  words : 

"  The  history  of  philosophy  in  India  is  an  abridgement 
of  the  philosophical  history  of  the  world." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

PSYCHOLOGY   OF   THE   BOOK   OF   THE  PITKIS. 

i 

The  superior  Guru  began  his  lessons  to  those  who  had 
been  admitted  to  the  third  degree  of  initiation,  with  the 
following  aphorisms : 

The  first  of  all  sciences  is  that  of  man :  man  is  the  soul ; 
the  body  is  only  a  means  of  communication  with  terrestrial 
matter ;  the  study  of  the  soul  leads  to  the  knowledge  of 
all  the  visible  and  invisible  forces  of  nature,  to  that  of  the 
Great  All. 

Having  laid  this  down,  the  venerable  priest  proceeds  to 
unveil  to  his  audience,  in  the  most  majestic  and  poetic  lan- 
guage, the  mysteries  of  the  soul.  We  are  sorry  that  we  are 
unable  to  accompany  him  as  he  more  fully  unfolds  his  doc- 
trine. Our  present  space  would  not  suffice.  We  can  only 
give  the  substance  of  his  teaching.  The  soul,  or  the  ego, 
is  a  reality  which  manifests  itself  through  the  phenomena 
of  which  it  is  the  cause ;  these  phenomena  are  revealed  to 
man  by  that  interior  light  which  the  sacred  books  call 
ahancara,  or  conscience. 

This  ahancara  is  a  universal  fact  and  all  beings  are  en- 
dowed with  it  more  or  less.  It  attains  the  greatest  per- 
fection in  man.  It  is  by  this  sovereign  light,  that  the  ego 
is  enlightened  and  guided.  We  may  say,  by  the  way,  ac- 
cording to  the  divine  Manu,  that  from  the  plant,  in  which 
it  seems  to  be  in  a  state  of  suspended  animation,  to  the 
animals  and  man,  the  ahancara  gradually  frees  itself  from 
matter  by  which  it  is  encumbered,  and  overpowers  and 
masters  it,  until  it  arrives  at  the  supreme  transformation, 


108  OCCULT  SCIENCE   IN  INDIA. 

which  restores  the  soul  to  liberty  and  enables  it  to  continue 
its  progressive  evolution  forever  and  ever. 

Released  from  these  ties,  the  soul  takes  no  further  in- 
terest in  the  world  which  it  once  inhabited.  It  continues 
to  be  an  active  member  of  the  Great  All,  and,  as  sajs  the 
immortal  legislator : 

"  The  ancestral  spirits  in  an  invisible  state  accompany 
the  Brahmins  when  invited  to  the  funeral  sraddha ;  in  an 
aerial  form  they  attend  them  and  take  their  place  beside 
them,  when  they  take  their  seats."  (Manu,  Book  iii.) 

As  the  soul  approaches  its  last  transformation,  it  acquires 
faculties  of  infinite  perfection,  and  finally  its  only  Gurus 
are  the  Pitris,  or  spirits  who  have  preceded  it  in  a  higher 
world.  By  means  of  the  pure  fluid  called  Agasa  it  en- 
ters into  communication  with  them,  receives  instruction 
from  them,  and,  according  to  its  deserts,  acquires  the 
power  or  faculty  of  setting  in  motion  the  secret  forces  of 
nature. 

Having  set  this  forth  at  length,  the  Guru  commences 
his  second  lesson  by  saying  that  logic  alone  leads  to  a 
knowledge  of  the  soul  and  body. 

Logic  is  defined  to  be  a  system  of  laws,  by  the  aid  of 
which,  the  mind  being  under  proper  control,  perfect 
knowledge  can  be  attained : 

First,  of  the  soul. 

Second,  of  the  reason. 

Third,  of  the  intellect. 

Seventh,  of  the  judgment. 

Eighth,  of  activity. 

Ninth,  of  privation. 

Tenth,  of  the  results  of  actions. 

Eleventh,  of  the  faculty. 

Twelfth,  of  suffering. 

Thirteenth,  of  deliverance. 

Fourteenth,  of  transmigration  or  metempsychosis. 

Fifteenth,  of  the  body. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  109 

Sixteenth,  of  the  organs  of  sensation. 

Seventeenth,  of  the  objects  of  sensation. 

The  different  modes  employed  by  logic  to  arrive  at  a 
knowledge  of  the  truth,  are  then  studied  in  sixteen  lessons, 
the  headings  of  which  are  as  follows : 

First,  evidence. 

Second,  the  subject  of  study  and  proof,  or,  in  other 
words,  the  cause. 

Third,  scientific  doubt. 

Fourth,  motive. 

Fifth,  example. 

Sixth,  the  truth  demonstrated. 

Seventh,  the  syllogism. 

Eighth,  demonstration  per  absurdum. 

Ninth,  the  determination  of  the  object. 

Tenth,  the  thesis. 

Eleventh,  the  controversy. 

Twelfth,  the  objection. 

Thirteenth,  vicious  arguments. 

Fourteenth,  perversion. 

Fifteenth,  of  futility. 

Sixteenth,  of  refutation. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  the 
philosophy  of  Greece,  as  well  as  of  modern  Europe,  seems 
to  be  largely  indebted  to  that  of  the  Hindus. 

We  shall  not  dwell  further  upon  these  various  points. 
The  enumeration  is  alone  sufficient  to  show  how  much 
further  they  might  be  developed.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that 
they  are  treated  in  a  most  masterly  manner  by  the  old 
philosophers  on  the  banks  of  the  Ganges,  whose  whole  life 
was  spent  in  study  of  the  most  elevated  speculations. 

Proof  in  general  is  made  in  four  ways : 

First,  by  perception, 

Second,  by  induction. 

Third,  by  comparison. 

Fourth,  by  testimony. 


110  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

Induction,  in  its  turn,  is  divided : 

First,  into  antecedent,  which  separates  the  effect  from 
the  cause. 

Second,  into  consequent,  which  deduces  the  cause  from 
the  effect. 

Third,  into  analogy,  which  infers  that  unknown  things 
are  alike  from  known  things  that  are  alike. 

After  analyzing  the  soul  and  body,  and  testing  them  in 
all  their  manifestations  in  the  crucible  of  logic,  the  Book 
of  the  Pitris,  through  the  mouth  of  the  Guru,  gives  the 
following  list  of  their  faculties  and  qualities : 

Faculties  of  the  /Soul. 

First,  sensibility. 
Second,  intelligence. 
Third,  will. 

Faculties  of  the  Intellect. 

First,  conscience,  or  organs  of  internal  perception. 

Second,  sense,  or  organs  of  external  perception. 

Third,  memory. 

Fourth,  imagination. 

Fifth,  reason,  or  organs  of  absolute  notions,  or  axioms. 

Qualities  of  the  Body. 

First,  color  (sight). 

Second,  savor  (taste). 

Third,  odor  (smell). 

Fourth,  the  sense  of  hearing  and  touch. 

Fifth,  number. 

Sixth,  quantity. 

Seventh,  individuality. 

Eighth,  conjunction. 

Ninth,  disjunction. 

Tenth,  priority. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  Ill 

Eleventh,  posteriority. 

Twelfth,  gravity,  or  weight. 

Thirteenth,  fluidity. 

Fourteenth,  viscidity. 

Fifteenth,  sound. 

As  there  is  nothing  material  about  anything  that  pro- 
ceeds from  the  soul,  it  is  obvious  that  those  faculties 
which  emanate  from  the  Ahancara,  or  inward  light,  and 
the  Agasa  or  pure  fluid,  cannot  under  any  circumstances 
and  however  thoroughly  we  may  study  them,  be  made  the 
objects  of  sensation,  and  it  follows  that  the  final  end  of  all 
science  is  to  free  the  spirit  at  the  earliest  possible  mo- 
ment from  all  material  fetters,  from  the  bonds  of  pas- 
sion, and  any  evil  influences  that  stand  in  the  way  of  its 
passage  to  the  celestial  spheres,  which  are  inhabited  by 
aerial  beings  whose  transmigrations  are  ended. 

The  body,  on  the  contrary,  being  solely  composed  of 
material  molecules,  is  dissolved  into  its  original  elements, 
and  returns  to  the  earth  from  which  it  sprung. 

If  the  soul,  however,  is  not  deemed  worthy  to  receive 
the  fluidic  body,  spoken  of  by  Manu,  it  is  compelled 
to  commence  a  new  series  of  transmigrations  in  this 
world,  until  it  has  attained  the  requisite  degree  of  per- 
fection, when  it  abandons  the  human  form  forever. 

It  is  impossible  to  shut  our  eyes  to  the  extraordinary 
similarity  between  this  system  of  philosophy  and  that  of 
the  old  Greek  philosophers,  and  especially  of  Pythagoras, 
who  believed  in  the  doctrine  of  metempsychosis,  and  also 
held  that  the  object  of  all  philosophy  was  to  free  the  soul 
from  its  mortal  envelope  and  guide  it  to  the  world  of 
spirits.  Although  it  appears  from  all  the  traditions  re- 
lating to  the  subject,  that  Pythagoras  went  to  the  Indus 
in  Alexander's  train  and  travelled  in  India  and  brought 
back  this  system  from  there,  and  was  the  only  one  of  all 
the  old  Sophists  that  taught  it,  some  people  who  have 
no  eyes  for  anything  that  is  not  Greek,  would  have  us  be- 


112  CCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

lieve  that  India  was  indebted  to  the  land  of  Socrates  for 
its  earliest  knowledge  of  philosophy.  We  will  merely 
repeat,  in  reply,  the  words  of  the  illustrious  Colebrook, 
who  has  studied  this  question  for  thirty  years  in  India  on 
the  spot : 

"In  philosophy  the  Hindus  are  the  masters  of  the 
Greeks,  and  not  their  disciples." 

Pythagoras  believed  in  a  hierarchy  of  the  superior 
spirits,  exercising  various  degrees  of  influence  upon  worldly 
matters.  That  doctrine  lies  at  the  very  foundation  of 
the  occult  sciences.  It  necessarily  supposes  an  acquaint- 
ance with  the  magical  formulas  of  evocation,  and  while 
the  philosopher  only  leads  us  to  suppose  that  he  had  been 
admitted  to  a  knowledge  of  supernatural  sciences,  there  is 
reason  to  believe  that  in  this  he  was  deterred  from  telling 
all  he  knew  by  the  terrible  oath  taken  by  all  those  who 
had  been  initiated. 

The  Guru  ended  his  inquiries  into  the  soul  and  its 
faculties  by  the  study  of  the  reason. 

As  the  whole  logical  power  of  Hindu  spiritism  rests 
upon  these  faculties,  we  devote  a  special  chapter  to  the 
superior  Guru's  discourse  upon  this  interesting  subject. 
We  will  give  the  introduction  merely  in  the  form  of  a 
dialogue. 

We  use  the  modern  term  spiritism,  to  designate  the 
Hindu  belief  in  the  Pitris,  for  the  reason  that  no  other 
word  exists  in  our  language  which  sufficiently  charac- 
terizes it. 

The  belief  in  the  Pitris  is  a  positive  belief  in  spirits  as 
manifesting  themselves  to  and  directing  men :  it  matters 
little  whether  the  word  has  any  scientific  value  or  not. 
It  is  enough  that  it  correctly  expresses  the  idea  which  we 
wish  to  convey. 


CHAPTER  YH. 

REASON. 

[From  the  twenty-third  dialogue  of  the  Second  Book  of 
the  Agrouchada-Parikchai.] 

VATU  l  (the  Disciple). 

Our  ablutions  have  been  performed,  as  prescribed.  The 
regular  sacrifices  have  all  been  accomplished,  the  fire 
slumbers  upon  the  hearthstone.  The  pestle  no  longer  re- 
sounds in  the  mortar  as  the  young  women  prepare  their 
evening  food.  The  sacred  elephants  have  just  struck 
upon  copper  gongs  the  strokes  that  divide  the  night.  It  is 
now  midnight.  It  is  the  hour  when  you  commence  your 
sublime  lessons. 

THE   GURU. 

My  children,  what  would  you  of  me  ? 

VATU. 

0  thou,  who  art  adorned  with  every  virtue,  who  art  as 
great  as  Mount  Hymavat  (Himalaya),  who  art  possessed 
of  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  four  Vedas  and  of  every- 
thing that  is  explained  in   the   sacred   word,  thou  who 
possessest  all   the  mentrams  (or  formulas  of  evocation), 
who  holdest  the  superior  shades  and  spirits  suspended 

1  This  word  in  Sanscrit  signifies  novice  or  pupil ;  it  is  applied  to  any 
one,  no  matter  what  his  age  may  be,  who  studies  under  the  direction 
of  a  Guru. 

8 


114  OCCULT  SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

from  thy  lips,  whose  shining  virtues  are  as  brilliant  as  the 
sun,  whose  reputation  is  everywhere  known,  and  who  art 
praised  in  the  fourteen  heavens  by  the  fourteen  classes  of 
spirits  who  communicate  with  men,  let  thy  science  flow 
over  us,  who  embrace  thy  sacred  feet,  as  the  waters  of  the 
Ganges  flow  over  the  plains  they  fertilize. 

THE   GTJEU. 

Listen  while  the  vile  Soudra  sleeps  like  a  dog  beneath 
the  poyal  of  his  abode :  while  the  Vaysia  is  dreaming  of 
the  hoards  of  this  world's  treasures  that  he  is  accumulat- 
ing, and  while  the  Xch atria,  or  king,  sleeps  among  his 
women,  faint  with  pleasure  but  never  satiated,  this  is  the 
moment  when  just  men,  who  are  not  under  the  dominion 
of  their  flesh,  commence  the  study  of  the  sciences. 

THE    VATU. 

Master,  we  are  listening. 

THE   GURU. 

Age  has  weakened  my  sight,  and  this  feeble  body  is 
hardly  able  to  unfold  to  you  what  I  mean  :  my  envelope  is 
falling  asunder  and  the  hour  of  my  transfiguration  is  ap- 
proaching. What  did  I  promise  you  for  this  evening  \ 

THE  VATU. 

Master,  you  said  to  us,  I  will  unfold  to  you  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  immortal  light,  which  puts  man  in  communica- 
tion with  infinity  and  rules  his  transformations  upon  earth. 

THE   GURU. 

You  will  now  hear  a  voice  and  that  voice  will  be  mine, 
but  the  thought  that  arises  in  my  mind  is  not  mine. 
Listen  :  I  give  place  to  the  superior  spirits  by  whom  1  arn 
inspired. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  115 

The  Guru  then  performs  an  evocation  to  the  maritchis, 
or  primordial  spirits.  The  following  is  a  brief  summary 
of  his  discourse. 

Every  man  is  conscious  within  himself  of  certain  abso- 
lute notions,  existing  outside  of  matter  and  sensation, 
which  he  has  not  derived  from  education  and  which  his 
reason  has  received  from  Swayambhouva,  or  the  Self-ex- 
istent Being,  as  a  sign  of  his  immortal  origin. 

They  are  the  principles : 

Of  cause. 

Of  identity. 

Of  contradiction. 

Of  harmony. 

Through  the  principle  of  cause  reason  tells  us  that 
everything  that  exists  is  the  result  of  some  cause  or 
other,  and  though  the  latter  often  escapes  our  notice,  we 
still  acknowledge  its  existence,  knowing  it  to  be  a  fact. 

This  is  the  source  of  all  science :  we  study  realities  only 
to  trace  them  back  to  their  producer. 

It  is  not  enough  to  lay  down  the  law  of  a  fact.  We 
must  know  whom  the  law  proceeds  from,  and  what  main- 
tains the  harmony  of  nature. 

Through  the  principles  of  identity  and  contradiction, 
man  knows  that  his  ego  is  not  that  of  his  neighbor.  That 
two  contrary  facts  are  not  governed  by  the  same  law ;  that 
good  is  not  evil ;  that  two  contraries  cannot  simultaneously 
be  predicated  of  the  same  fact. 

Through  the  principle  of  harmony,  reason  tells  us  that 
everything  in  the  universe  is  subject  to  certain  immutable 
laws,  and  the  principle  of  cause  compels  us  to  attribute  to 
these  laws  an  author  and  preserver. 

No  faculty  of  the  soul  is  able  to  perform  any  act  or 
motion,  except  in  conformity  with  these  principles,  which 
regulate  its  interior  and  exterior  life,  its  spiritual  and  ma- 
terial nature.  "Without  these  principles,  to  which  all  are 
necessarily  obliged  to  submit,  and  which  commend  them- 


116  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

selves  to  the  reason  of  all  men  and  people,  without  these 
principles,  we  say,  which  are  the  supreme  law  of  all  obser- 
vation, of  all  investigation,  of  all  science,  no  one  can  derive 
any  benefit  from  tradition,  or  from  the  achievements  of 
those  who  have  preceded  him.  There  being  no  other  axio- 
matic foundation  for  scientific  facts,  there  can  be  no 
science,  for  no  two  men  will  see,  think,  or  judge  alike. 

Human  reason,  universal  reason,  guided  by  absolute 
principles — that  is  the  bright  light,  guiding  and  uniting  all 
men  in  a  common  work  for  the  benefit  of  all. 

Such  is  a  brief  abstract  of  this  dialogue,  which  covers 
fifty  palm-leaves  at  least  of  the  Book  of  the  Pitris. 

It  would  be  impossible  for  us,  as  may  well  be  imagined, 
in  the  present  work,  which  is  merely  a  brief  history  or 
description  of  the  practices  of  those  who  have  been  in- 
itiated, and  in  which,  in  order  to  accomplish  the  task  we 
have  set  before  us,  we  are  obliged  to  compress  the  sub- 
stance of  more  than  fifty  volumes,  to  give  any  subject  a 
disproportionate  or  undue  importance. 

With  the  help  of  the  axioms  laid  down  by  the  Guru, 
reason  leads  man  to  the  knowledge  : 

First,  of  the  Supreme  Being. 

Second,  of  the  constitution  of  the  universe. 

Third,  of  superior  and  inferior  spirits. 

Fourth,  of  man. 

We  propose  now  to  show  what  is  the  belief  of  those  who 
have  been  initiated  upon  each  of  these  matters. 


CHAPTEE  YIIL 


A   TEXT   FROM    THE   VEDAS. 


Nothing  is  commenced  or  ended.  Everything  is  changed 
or  transformed.  Life  and  death  are  only  modes  of  trans- 
formation which  rule  the  vital  molecule,  from  the  plant 
up  to  Brahma  himself.  (Atharva-Yeda.) 


CHAPTEK  IX. 


A   FEW    SLOCA8   FROM   MA  "NTT. 


The  soul  is  the  assemblage  of  the  gods.  The  nni verse 
rests  in  the  supreme  soul.  It  is  the  soul  that  accomplishes 
the  series  of  acts  emanating  from  animate  beings. 


The  Brahmin  should  figure  to  himself  the  great  being 
which  is  the  Sovereign  Master  of  the  universe,  and  who  is 
subtler  than  an  atom,  as  more  brilliant  than  pure  gold,  and 
as  inconceivable  by  the  mind,  except  in  the  repose  of  the 
most  abstract  contemplation. 


Some  worship  him  in  the  fire,  some  in  the  air  ;  he  is  the 
Lord  of  creation,  the  eternal  Brahma. 


He  it  is  who,  enveloping  all  beings  in  a  body  composed 
of  the  five  elements,  causes  them  to  pass  through  the  suc- 
cessive stages  of  birth,  growth,  and  dissolution,  with  a 
movement  like  that  of  a  wheel. 


So  the  man  who  recognizes  the  supreme  soul  as  present 
in  his  own  soul,  understands  that  it  is  his  duty  to  be  kind 
and  true  to  all,  and  the  most  fortunate  destiny  that  he  could 
have  desired  is  that  of  being  finally  absorbed  in  Brahma. 
(Manu,  Book  xii.) 


CHAPTER  X. 

OF  THE   SUPREME   BEING. 

[Twenty-fourth  dialogue  of  the  Book  of  the  Pitris.] 

After  giving  as  a  text  the  words  of  the  Atharva-Yeda, 
and  a  few  verses  from  Manu,  which  we  have  just  quoted, 
the  Agrouchada-Parikchai  devotes  the  twenty-fourth  les- 
son of  the  Guru  to  the  study  of  the  Supreme  Being.  The 
principles  of  cause  and  harmony  lead  human  reason  to  the 
absolute  notion  of  a  superior  and  universal  cause. 

"He  who  denies  this  cause  for  the  whole,"  says  the 
Book  of  the  Pitris,  "  has  no  right  to  assign  any  cause  to  any 
particular  fact.  If  you  say  the  universe  exists  because  it 
exists,  it  is  unnecessary  to  go  any  further  ;  man  lives  only 
by  facts,  and  he  has  no  assurance  otherwise  of  the  invaria- 
bility of  natural  laws." 

Having  shown  that  the  belief  in  a  superior  and  uni- 
versal cause,  in  the  Supreme  Being,  lies  at  the  basis  of  all 
science  and,  pre-eminently,  of  axiomatic  truth,  the  Guru 
of  initiations  borrows  from  Manu  and  the  Yedas  the 
definition  of  this  primordial  force,  whose  mysterious  and 
sacred  name  it  is  forbidden  to  utter. 

"  It  is  he  who  exists  by  himself,  and  who  is  in  all,  be- 
cause all  is  in  him. 

"  It  is  he  who  exists  by  himself,  because  the  mind  alone 
can  perceive  him ;  who  cannot  be  apprehended  by  our 
sensual  organs.  Who  is  without  visible  parts,  eternal  the 
soul  of  all  beings,  and  none  can  comprehend  him. 

"  He  is  one,  immutable,  devoid  of  parts  or  form,  in- 


120  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

finite,  omniscient,  omnipresent,  and  omnipotent.  He  it  is 
who  has  created  the  heavens  and  the  worlds  out  of  chaos, 
and  has  set  them  whirling  through  infinite  space.  He  is 
the  motor,  the  great  original  substance,  the  efficient  and 
material  cause  of  everything." 

"  Behold  the  Ganges  as  it  rolls,  it  is  he;  the  ocean  as  it 
mutters,  it  is  he ;  the  cloud  as  it  thunders,  it  is  he ;  the 
lightning  as  it  flashes,  it  is  he ;  as  from  all  eternity  the 
world  was  in  the  mind  of  Brahma,  so  now  everything  that 
exists  is  in  his  image." 

"  He  is  the  author  and  principle  of  all  things,  eternal, 
immaterial,  everywhere  present,  independent,  infinitely 
happy,  exempt  from  all  pain  or  care,  the  pure  truth,  the 
source  of  all  justice,  he  who  governs  all,  who  disposes  of 
all,  who  rules  all,  infinitely  enlightened,  infinitely  wise, 
without  form,  without  features,  without  extent,  without 
condition,  without  name,  without  caste,  without  relation, 
of  a  purity  that  excludes  all  passion,  all  inclination,  all 
compromise."  • 

The  Guru,  with  the  Pouranas,  discusses  these  sublime 
questions,  to  which  he  returns  the  following  answers : 

"  Mysterious  spirit,  immense  force,  inscrutable  power, 
how  was  thy  power,  thy  force,  thy  life  manifested  before 
the  period  of  creation  ?  "Wast  thou  dormant  in  the  midst  of 
disintegrating  matter,  like  an  extinct  sun  ?  Was  the  dis- 
solution of  matter  in  thyself  or  was  it  by  thy  order  ? 
Wert  thou  chaos  ?  Did  thy  life  include  all  the  lives  that 
had  escaped  the  shock  of  the  destroying  elements?  If 
thou  wert  life,  thou  wert  also  death,  for  there  can  be  no 
destruction  without  movement,  and  motion  could  not  exist 
without  thee." 

"  Didst  thou  cast  the  worlds  into  a  blazing  furnace  in 
order  that  they  might  be  regenerated,  in  order  that  they 
might  be  born  again,  from  their  decomposing  elements,  as 
an  old  tree  springs  again  from  the  seed  in  the  midst  of  its 
corruption  ? ".. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  121 

"Did  thy  spirit  wander  over  the  waters,  thy  name 
being  Narayana  ? 

"  The  immortal  germ,"  went  on  the  Guru,  "  whose  ter- 
rible name  should  not  be  spoken,  is  the  ancient  of  days. 
Nothing  existed  without  him ;  nothing  was  apart  from 
him ;  he  causeth  life,  motion,  and  light  to  shine  through 
infinity  ;  everything  comes  from  him  and  everything  goes 
back  to  him ;  he  is  constantly  fertilizing  the  universe, 
through  an  intimate  union  with  his  productive  thought. 

"  Hear  ye,  this  has  been  revealed  to  the  sages  in  the 
silence  of  solitary  places,  upon  the  banks  of  unfrequented 
torrents,  in  the  mysterious  crypts  of  temples." 


This  is  what  no  profane  ear  should  hear.  This  is  what 
has  been  from  all  eternity,  which  never  had  any  beginning 
and  will  have  no  end. 


-x- 
*       * 


Listen  to  the  hymn  of  eternal  love : 


He  is  one  and  he  is  two.  He  is  two,  but  he  is  three. 
The  one  contains  two  principles,  and  the  union  of  these 
two  principles  produces  the  third. 


He  is  one  and  he  is  all,  and  this  one  contains  the  hus- 
band and  the  wife,  and  the  love  of  the  husband  for  the 
wife,  and  of  the  wife  for  the  husband,  produces  the  third, 
which  is  the  son. 


The  husband  is  as  ancient  as  the  wife,  and  the  wife  is 
as  ancient  as  the  husband,  and  the  son  is  also  as  ancient  as 


122  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

the  husband  and  wife,  and  the  one  that  contains  all  three 
is  called 

A 
U  M 

Three  in  One. 

This  is  given  as  the  meaning  of  the  sublime  monosylla- 
ble. It  is  the  image  of  the  ancient  of  days. 

* 

*  * 

The  union  of  the  husband  and  the  wife  continues  for- 
ever, and  from  the  transports  of  their  eternal  love  the  son 
constantly  receives  life,  which  he  unceasingly  drops  into  in- 
finity, like  so  many  millions  of  dew-drops  fertilized  by  the 
divine  love. 

# 

#  # 

Every  drop  of  dew  that  falls  is  an  exact  representation 
of  the  great  all,  an  atom  of  the  Faramatma  or  universal 
soul,  and  each  of  these  atoms  possesses  the  two  principles 
that  beget  the  third. 


So  everything  goes  by  three  in  the  universe,  from  the 
infinite  to  which  everything  descends,  to  the  infinite  to 
which  everything  ascends,  with  a  motion  similar  to  that 
of  an  endless  chain  revolving  about  a  wheel. 

* 

*  * 

The  first  appearance  of  atoms  is  in  the  state  of  fertilized 
germs.  They  collect  together  and  form  matter  which  is 
being  continually  transformed  and  improved  by  the  three 
grand  principles  of  life ;  water,  and  heat,  and  by  the  pure 
fluid,  called  Agasa. 

* 

*  * 

Agasa,  the  pure  fluid,  is  life  itself.  It  is  the  soul.  It 
is  man.  The  body  is  only  an  envelope,  an  obedient  slave. 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  123 

As  the  seed,  which  germinates,  bursts  through  its  shell, 
and  shoots  out  of  the  ground,  Agasa  lays  gradually  aside 
the  material  veil,  beneath  which  its  transformation  takes 
place,  and  purifies  itself.  Upon  leaving  the  earth,  it  passes 
through  the  fourteen  more  perfect  regions,  and  every  time 
it  abandons  its  former  envelope,  and  clothes  itself  with 
one  more  pure. 


Agasa,  the  vital  fluid  —  the  soul  —  animates  the  human 
body  upon  earth.  In  infinite  space,  it  put  on  the  aerial 
form  of  the  Pitris  or  spirits. 


Human  souls  before  being  absorbed  in  the  supreme  soul, 
ascend  through  the  fourteen  following  degrees  of  superior 
spirits. 

The  Pitris  are  the  immediate  souls  of  our  ancestors, 
still  living  in  the  terrestrial  circle,  and  communicating 
with  men,  just  as  more  perfect  man  communicates  with 
the  animal  world. 


Above  the  Pitris,  but  having  nothing  in  common  with 
the  earth,  are, 
The  somapas, 
The  agnidagdhas, 
The  agnanidagdhas, 
The  agnichwattas, 


The  cavias, 
The  barhichads, 
The  somyas, 
The  havichmats, 
The  adjyapas, 
The  soucalis, 
The  sadhyas. 


Spirits  inhabiting  the  planets 


and  stars. 


124 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 


The  two  highest  degrees  were  those  of  the  Maritchis 
and  of  the  Pradjapatis,  who  were  superior  spirits,  and 
would  soon  arrive  at  the  end  of  their  transmigrations  and 
be  absorbed  in  the  great  soul. 


* 
*       * 


This  is  called  the  progressive  transformation  of  just 
spirits  who  have  spent  their  terrestrial  life  in  the  practice 
of  virtue.  The  following  are  the  transformations  of  the 
bad  spirits: 


The  yakchas, 
The  rakchasas, 
The  pisatchas, 
The  gandharbas, 
The  apsaras, 
The  assouras, 
The  nagas, 
The  sarpas, 
The  souparnas, 
The  kinnaras. 


Bad  spirits  who  are  constantly  at- 
tempting to  creep  into  the  bodies  of 
men,  and  return  to  terrestrial  life, 
which  they  have  to  pass  through  anew. 


These  bad  spirits  are  the  malign  secretions  of  the  uni- 
verse. Their  only  means  of  regaining  the  degree  of  purity 
required  for  the  higher  transformations,  is  through  thou- 
sands and  thousands  of  transformations  into  minerals, 
plants,  and  animals. 

The  superior  pradjapatis  are  ten  in  number ;  the  three 
first, 

Maritchi, 

Atri, 

Angiras, 
represent  eternal  reason,  wisdom,  and  intelligence. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  125 

The  second  three, 

Poulastya, 
Poulaha, 
Cratou, 

represent  the  goodness,  power,  and  majesty  of  the  Di- 
vine Being. 

# 

•3f  -3f 

The  last  triad, 

Yasichta, 

Pratchetas, 

Brighou, 

are  the  agents  of  creation,  preservation,  and  transforma- 
tion. They  are  the  direct  ministers  of  the  manifested 
trinity. 

•* 

*  * 

The  last,  called 

Narada, 

represents  the  intimate  union  of  all  the  Pradjapatis  in 
the  mind  of  the  Self -existent  Being,  and  the  unceasing  pro- 
duction of  the  thousands  of  beings  by  whom  nature  is 
constantly  being  rejuvenated  and  the  work  of  creation  is 
being  perpetuated. 

•5fr 

*  * 

These  qualities  of  reason,  wisdom,  intelligence,  good- 
ness, power,  majesty,  creation,  preservation,  transforma- 
tion, and  union,  which  are  being  constantly  diffused 
throughout  nature,  under  the  influence  of  the  superior  spir- 
its, are  the  unceasing  product  of  the  love  of  the  divine 
husband  for  his  celestial  spouse.  In  this  way  the  great 
being  maintains  his  eternal  life,  which  is  that  of  all  beings. 

* 

*  * 

For  all  things  in  the  universe  only  exist  and  move  and 
undergo  transformation,  in  order  that  the  existence  of  the 
Great  All  may  be  perpetuated,  renewed,  and  purified. 


126  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

That  is  the  reason  why  nothing  exists  outside  of  his 
essence  and  substance,  and  that  all  creatures  contain  in 
themselves  the  principles  of  reason,  wisdom,  intelligence, 
goodness,  power,  majesty,  creation,  preservation,  transfor- 
mation, and  union,  and  are  the  image  of  the  ten  Pradjapa- 
tis,  who  are  themselves  a  direct  emanation  from  the  divine 
power. 


The  departure  of  the  soul-atom  from  the  bosom  of  di- 
vinity is  a  radiation  from  the  life  of  the  Great  All,  who 
expends  his  strength  in  order  that  he  may  grow  again,  and 
in  order  that  he  may  live  by  its  return.  God  thereby 
acquires  a  new  vital  force,  purified  by  all  the  transforma- 
tions that  the  soul-atom  has  undergone. 


* 
*       * 


Its  return  is  the  final  reward.  Such  is  the  secret  of  the 
evolutions  of  the  Great  Being,  and  of  the  supreme  soul, 
the  mother  of  all  souls. 

After  fully  setting  forth  the  above  system  with  regard 
to  God,  the  soul,  and  perpetual  creation,  the  most  astonish- 
ing system,  perhaps,  that  the  world  has  ever  produced, 
and  which  contains  within  itself,  substantially  under  a 
mystical  form,  all  the  philosophical  doctrines  that  have 
ever  agitated  the  human  mind,  the  Book  of  the  Pitris 
closes  the  present  chapter,  from  which  we  have  eliminated 
its  interminable  invocations  and  hymns  to  the  creative 
power,  by  the  following  comparison : 

"  The  Great  All,  which  is  constantly  in  motion  and  is 
constantly  undergoing  change  in  the  visible  and  invisible 
universe,  is  like  the  tree  which  perpetuates  itself  by  its 
seed,  and  is  unceasingly  creating  the  same  identical  types." 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  127 

Thus,  according  to  the  belief  of  those  who  had  been  ini- 
tiated, God  is  the  whole,  the  soul  is  the  atom  which  un- 
dergoes progressive  transformation,  is  purified  and  ascends 
to  its  eternal  source,  and  the  universe  is  the  reunited  body 
of  atoms  in  process  of  transformation. 

As  man  upon  earth  is  in  direct  communication  with  the 
souls  of  plants  and  of  inferior  animals,  so  the  Pitris,  hav- 
ing clothed  themselves  with  a  fluidic  (fluidique)  body,  and 
having  attained  the  first  of  the  fourteen  superior  degrees, 
are  always  in  communication  with  man. 

There  is  an  uninterruptedly  ascending  scale,  the  links  of 
which  are  never  broken  : 

The  Pitris  are  in  relation  with  the  Somapas  (spirits). 
The  Somapas  with  the  Agnidagdhas. 
The  Agnidagdhas  with  the  Agnanidagdhas. 
The  Agnanidagdhas  with  the  Agnichwatas. 
And  so  on  up  to  the  Pradjapatis,  who  are  in  direct  com- 
munication with  God. 

In  each  of  these  categories  the  spirit  assumes  a  more 
perfect  body  and  continues  to  move  in  a  circle  of  laws, 
which  may  be  called  superterrestrial  but  which  are  not 
supernatural. 

The  Book  of  the  Pitris  says  positively  that  the  spirits 
preserve  their  sex,  whatever  may  be  the  superior  catego- 
ries to  which  they  may  attain ;  that  they  are  united  to- 
gether by  the  ties  of  a  love  which  is  totally  unlike  every 
form  of  earthly  passion.  These  unions  are  always  prolific 
and  give  birth  to  beings  who  possess  all  the  qualities  of 
their  parents,  enjoy  the  same  happiness,  and  are  not  tied 
down  to  the  transformations  of  this  lower  world. 

It  is  possible,  however,  as  the  Pitris  enjoy  the  utmost 
freedom  of  will,  that  they  may  commit  some  exceptionally 
grave  fault  and  be  degraded,  in  consequence,  to  the  condi- 
tion of  man.  Upon  this  point  the  Agrouchada-Parikchai 
alludes  to  a  revolt  of  the  Pitris,  that  happened  a  long  while 


128  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IX   INDIA. 

ago,  but  makes  no  further  explanation.  Some  of  them 
are  supposed  to  have  been  cast  down  to  earth  again. 

There  is  every  reason  to  suppose,  from  the  close  simi- 
larity existing  between  their  various  religious  traditions, 
that  this  legend  found  its  way,  through  the  process  of  ini- 
tiation, from  the  Hindu  temples  into  the  mysteries  of 
Chaldea  and  Egypt,  and  thus  gave  birth  to  the  myth  of 
the  first  sin. 

Those  Pitris  which  have  not  passed  the  degree  immedi- 
ately above  that  of  man,  are  the  only  spirits  which  are  in 
communication  with  the  latter.  They  are  regarded  as  the 
ancestors  of  the  human  race  and  its  natural  directors  from 
whom  it  derives  its  inspiration.  They  are  themselves  in- 
spired by  the  spirits  of  the  next  degree  above  them,  and  so 
on,  from  one  degree  to  another,  until  the  divine  word  or,  in 
other  terms,  until  revelation  is  imparted  to  man. 

The  Pitris  are  not  equal  to  each  other.  Each  category 
forms  a  separate  and  complete  world,  in  the  likeness  of  our 
own,  only  more  perfect,  in  which  there  is  the  same  di- 
versity of  intelligence  and  function. 

According  to  this  theory,  it  will  be  readily  understood 
that  man  cannot  live  isolated  from  his  ancestors.  It  is 
only  by  the  aid  of  their  instruction  and  help  that  he  can 
arrive  in  the  shortest  possible  time  at  the  transformation 
by  means  of  which  he  becomes  united  to  them. 

Upon  this  belief  is  based  the  whole  theory  of  initiation. 

But  men  upon  earth  are  not  fitted  to  receive  communi- 
cations from  a  higher  world.  Some  are  naturally  inclined 
toward  evil  and  do  not  care  to  improve  their  characters : 
others  still  feel  the  effect  of  the  previous  lives  which  they 
have  spent  in  the  form  of  animals,  and  their  spirits  are 
entirely  dominated  by  matter.  It  is  only  after  many  gen- 
erations have  been  spent  in  the  practice  of  virtue  that 
the  soul  becomes  spiritualized  and  the  pure  fluid  called 
Agasa  is  developed,  by  means  of  which  communication  ia 
established. 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  129 

Hence  the  natural  inequality  of  men  and  the  necessity 
that  those  who  have  arrived  at  the  highest  degree  of  de- 
velopment should  unite  in  the  study  of  the  great  secrets 
of  life  and  of  the  forces  of  nature,  that  they  may  set  them 
in  motion. 

"  It  is  only  by  constant  fasting,  mortification,  prayer,  and 
meditation,"  says  the  Agrouchada-Parikchai,  "that  man 
can  arrive  at  complete  separation  from  everything  that 
surrounds  him.  In  that  case  he  acquires  extraordinary 
power.  Time,  space,  capacity,  weight  are  of  no  conse- 
quence. He  has  all  the  Pitris  at  his  command  and  through 
them  all  the  superior  spirits  likewise.  He  attains  a  power 
of  thought  and  action  of  which  formerly  he  had  no  con- 
ception, and  sees  through  the  curtain  that  hangs  before 
the  splendors  of  human  destiny." 

But  while  there  are  mediating  and  directing  spirits  who 
are  always  ready  to  come  at  his  call,  to  point  the  way  to 
virtue,  there  are  also  others  which  have  been  condemned 
for  their  misdeeds  in  this,  their  earthly  life,  to  undergo 
again  all  their  previous  transmigrations,  commencing  with 
mineral  and  plant  life ;  they  float  about  in  infinity  until 
they  can  seize  upon  some  unoccupied  particle  of  matter, 
which  they  can  use  as  an  envelope :  they  employ  all  the 
resources  of  their  miserable  intellects  to  deceive  and  mislead 
men  as  to  the  means  by  which  they  can  arrive  at  the  su- 
preme and  final  transformation.  These  bad  spirits  are  con- 
stantly occupied  in  tormenting  pious  hermits  during  their 
sacrifices,  initiates  in  the  midst  of  their  studies,  and  sanny- 
assis  in  their  prayers,  and  it  is  impossible  to  drive  them 
away,  except  through  the  possession  of  the  secret  of  mag- 
ical conjurations. 

Lastly,  the  whole  system,  the  Great  All,  is  perpetually 
preserved,  developed,  and  transformed  through  love. 

The  emblem  of  this  love,  the  Trinity,  contains  within 
itself  both  the  husband  and  wife,  and  their  perpetual  em- 
braces give  birth  to  the  son  by  whom  the  universe  is  re- 
9 


130  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

generated.  Everything  that  exists  is  composed  of  atoms 
that  reproduce  themselves  by  threes — the  germ,  the  womb, 
and  the  offspring — the  father,  the  mother,  the  child — after 
the  pattern  of  that  immortal  Trinity  which  is  welded  to- 
gether in  one  being  by  whom  the  whole  of  nature  is  ruled, 
and  the  soul-atom,  at  the  close  of  its  transformations,  re- 
turns to  the  ever-living  source  from  which  it  sprang. 

This  grand  and  imposing  conception  gave  birth,  in  the 
vulgar  cult,  to  that  triple  manifestation  of  the  Trinity 
which  was  known  in  India  as — 

Nara — Agni — Brahma — the  Father, 
Nari — Yaya — Yischnou — the  Mother, 
Yirad j — Sourya  — Siva — the  Son . 
It  was  known  in  Egypt  under  the  following  names : 
Amon — Osiris — Horus — the  Father, 
Mouth — Isis — Isis — the  Mother, 
Khons — Horus — Malouli — the  Son. 
It  was  called  in  Chaldea : 
Anou, 
Nouah, 
Bel. 
In  Polynesian  Oceanica : 

Taaroa, 
Ina, 
Oro. 
And  finally  in  Christianity  : 

The  Father, 
The  Spirit, 
The  Word. 

All  the  teachings  of  the  temples  grow  out  of  the  mys- 
teries into  which  the  priests  are  initiated,  and  which  they 
change  into  the  grossest  symbols,  in  order  to  vulgarize 
them  without  divulging  their  secret  meaning. 


CHAPTER  XL 

WOKDS    SPOKEN   BY   THE   PRIESTS   AT   MEMPHIS. 

The  vandalism  committed  by  Caesar's  soldiers  in  the 
destruction  of  the  Alexandrian  library  has  left  us  nothing 
but  sculptures  and  inscriptions  with  which  to  reconstruct 
the  religious  history  of  Egypt.  But  that  country  was  so 
directly  allied  to  India  that  its  ruins  speak  to  us  in  a  voice 
full  of  meaning,  and  its  inscriptions  are  pregnant  with 
significance,  when  studied  from  a  Brahminical  point  of 
view. 

We  will  merely  mention,  at  present,  one  inscription 
taken  from  the  Rahmesseum  at  Thebes,  which  is  a  com- 
plete summary  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Pitris,  as  herein  set 
forth. 

One  of  the  first  expressions  that  the  Egyptian  priests 
made  use  of  in  addressing  those  who  had  been  passed 
through  the  process  of  initiation  was  as  follows : 

Everything  is  contained  and  preserved  in  one, 

Everything  is  changed  and  transformed  by  three, 

The  Monad  created  the  Dyad, 

The  Dyad  begat  the  Triad, 

The  Triad  shines  throughout  the  whole  of  nature. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  FORMULAS   OF   EVOCATION". 

After  an  examination  of  the  part  performed  by  the 
human  soul,  and  the  superior  and  inferior  spirits,  as  well 
as  by  the  universe,  in  the  Great  All  which  we  call  God, 
and,  having  established  the  ties  of  relationship  existing 
between  all  souls,  in  consequence  of  which,  those  belonging 
to  the  superior  groups  are  always  ready  to  aid  souls  belong- 
ing to  an  inferior  group  with  their  counsel  and  communi- 
cations, the  Book  of  the  Pitris  goes  on  to  discuss  the  mys- 
terious subject  of  evocations.  Evocations  are  of  two  sorts. 

They  are  addressed  either  to  disembodied  spirits  or  to 
ancestral  spirits,  in  which  latter  case  the  spirits  evoked 
can  respond  to  the  appeal  made  to  them,  whatever  may 
be  the  superior  degree  to  which  they  may  have  attained,  or 
they  are  addressed  to  spirits  not  included  in  the  genealogi- 
cal line  of  relationship,  and  then  the  evocations  are  un- 
successful if  addressed  to  spirits  who  have  already  passed 
the  degree  immediately  above  that  of  man. 

The  following  rules  may  be  laid  down  : 

That  a  man  can  evoke  the  spirit  of  his  ancestor  under 
any  circumstances,  even  if  the  latter  has  already  arrived  at 
the  rank  of  Pradjapati,  or  supreme  director  of  creation, 
and  is  on  the  point  of  being  absorbed  in  the  Great  Soul. 

That  if  any  one  evokes  a  spirit  not  in  his  genealogical 
line,  he  can  only  obtain  manifestations  from  those  who 
belong  to  the  class  of  Pitris. 

Preparations  should  be  made  for  the  ceremony  of  evoca- 
tion by  fasting  and  prayer,  for,  as  the  Agrouchada-Parikchai 
says,  these  terrible  formulas  are  fatal  when  not  uttered  by  a 
pure  mouth.  In  order  to  evoke  a  spirit  the  priest  should : 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  133 

First,  isolate  himself  entirely  from  all  external  matters. 
Second,  his  mind  should  be  absorbed  in  thought  of  the 
spirit  whose  appearance  he  has   called  forth   and  from 
whom  he  desires  to  receive  a  communication. 

Third,  he  should  enclose  all  the  malign  spirits  who 
might  disturb  him  in  a  magic  circle. 

Fourth,  he  should  offer  up  sacrifices  to  his  ancestral 
shades  and  to  the  superior  spirits. 

Fifth,  he  should  pronounce  the  formulas  of  evocation. 
A  special  part  of  the  Book  of  the  Pitris  is  devoted  to 
these  formulas,  which  all  have  a  cabalistic  meaning.  We 
shall  make  no  effort  to  elucidate  this  point  any  further, 
as  we  were  never  able  to  obtain  the  key  to  these  various 
combinations  from  the  Brahmins.  "We  should  be  careful 
to  avoid  attaching  greater  importance  to  these  matters 
than  they  are  fairly  entitled  to. 

The  first  leaf  of  the  chapter  on  formulas  contains  the 
following  epigraph,  the  combinations  of  words  and  letters 
being  as  simple  as  they  could  well  be.  "We  give  it  as  a 
specimen  to  show  what  puerile  methods  the  priests  resorted 
to  in  order  to  cover  up  their  practices. 

As  it  contains  no  formula  of  evocation,  the  Brahmins 
had  no  objection  to  explain  its  meaning : 
ffid+tfad 

Irt 
Mad+uo — ydq — ad 

Irt 
mm — id 

Irt 
sam  +  ad 

Irt 
mal  +  aJc 

Irt 

Mam  4-  ra  +  di — yart 

Tag—aj 

Irt. 


134  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

By  reading  from  right  to  left,  commencing  with  the 
last  syllable  of  each  word,  we  are  able  to  attach  the  fol- 
lowing meaning  to  this  cabalistic  sentence  : 

Tridandin. 

Tridagdyo  udam. 

Tridivam. 

Tridamas. 

TriJcalam. 

Trayidarmam. 

Trijagat. 

7f 

#•       * 

The  language  of  evocations  totally  dispenses  with  all 
verbs,  prepositions,  conjunctions,  and  adverbs,  and  while 
names  are  retained,  they  undergo  the  terminations  of  the 
different  declensions  by  which  the  gramrnatic  action  of  the 
verbs  and  prepositions  understood,  is  indicated. 

Thus,  in  the  case  under  consideration  : 

Tridandin  is  in  the  nominative,  and  signifies  the  priest 
who  is  entitled  to  three  sticks.  These  three  sticks  indicate 
one  who  has  been  admitted  to  the  third  degree  of  initia- 
tion, and  who  has  power  over  three  things :  thought, 
speech,  and  action. 

Tridaqdyoudam  signifies  the  divine  arm.  This  word 
is  in  the  accusative,  and  is  governed  by  a  verb  of  which 
Tridandin  is  the  subject. 

Tridwam  signifies  the  triple  heaven.  This  word  is  also 
in  the  accusative  and  is  consequently  in  the  same  situation 
as  the  preceding  word. 

Tridamas  is  the  name  of  Agni  of  three  fires.  This 
Word  is  the  genitive  of  a  word  pf  which  Tridamam  is  the 
nominative. 

TriJcalam  signifies  the  three  times,  the  past,  the  present, 
the  future.  This  is  also  in  the  accusative  form. 

Trayidarmam  is  in  the  accusative,  and  signifies  the  three 
books  of  the  law. 

Trijagat  is  in  the  neutral  form  of  the  accusative  and  sig- 
nifies the  three  worlds :  heaven,  earth,  and  the  lower  regions. 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  135 

According  to  the  Brahmins,  this  inscription  means  as 
follows : 

Tridandin — or  he  who  has  been  initiated  into  three  de- 
grees, who  carries  the  three  rods,  and  who  has  power  over 
three  things :  thought,  speech,  and  action. 

Tridaqayoudam — if  he  desires  to  secure  possession  of  the 
divine  arm. 

Tridwam — and  conquer  the  power  of  evocation  from 
the  spirit  of  the  three  heavens. 

Ti'idamas — must  have  in  his  service  Agni  of  the  three 
fires. 

TriTcalam — and  know  the  three  times,  past,  present,  and 
future. 

Trayidarmam — must  possess  the  essence  of  the  three 
books  of  the  law. 

Trijagat — thus  he  will  be  enabled  to  know  the  secrets 
of  the  three  worlds. 

"We  do  not  propose  to  dwell  at  length  upon  the  practice 
of  occult  writing,  the  mechanism  of  which  changes  with 
every  form  of  evocation.  Besides,  it  has  been  impossible 
for  us,  as  we  have  elsewhere  stated,  to  obtain  possession 
of  that  part  of  the  Book  of  the  Pitris  containing  these 
formulas.  The  priests  keep  them  to  themselves  and  the 
people  are  not  allowed  to  know  anything  about  them. 

At  one  time  the  penalty  for  divulging  a  single  verse  of 
the  Book  of  Spirits  was  death.  The  rank  of  the  accused 
made  no  difference.  It  mattered  not  that  the  guilty  priest 
belonged  to  the  sacerdotal  caste. 

Neither  did  the  Jewish  Cabalists  limit  themselves  to  the 
symbolical  language  with  which  they  covered  up  their 
doctrines.  They  also  endeavored  to  introduce  into  their 
writings  secret  methods  almost  identical  with  those  of  the 
Indian  pagodas. 

As  for  particular  ceremonies  of  evocation,  we  shall  have 
occasion  to  study  them  in  all  their  details  when  we  turn 
our  attention  to  the  external  manifestations  produced  by 
the  different  grades  of  initiates. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

FORMULAS   OF   MAGICAL   INCANTATION — VULGAR   MAGIC. 

The  formulas  of  magical  incantation,  addressed  to  evil 
spirits,  are  kept  as  secret  as  those  used  in  the  evocation  of 
superior  spirits.  They  even  form  a  part  of  a  special  book 
of  the  Agrouchada  called  the  Agrouchada-Parikchai,  treat- 
ing of  magicians. 

They  are  also  written,  as  well  as  read,  in  a  manner  simi- 
lar to  that  we  have  just  described,  in  order  to  hide  from 
the  profane  their  real  meaning.  We  pass  them  over, 
however,  and  turn  our  attention  to  the  external  manifesta- 
tions, exorcisms,  and  cases  of  demoniacal  possession  which 
are  so  frequent  in  India. 

We  propose  to  give  an  impartial  account  of  the  numer- 
ous facts  that  have  fallen  under  our  own  observation,  some 
of  which  are  so  extraordinary  from  a  physiological,  as  well 
as  from  a  purely  spiritual  point  of  view,  that  we  hardly 
know  what  to  say  of  them. 

We  merely  allude  to  the  chapter  of  the  Agrouchada 
treating  of  formulas  of  incantation  and  are  unable  to  give 
any  further  information  as  to  the  magical  words,  to  which 
the  priests  attribute  so  much  virtue  in  exorcising  Rak- 
chasas,  Pisatchas,  Nagas,  Souparnas,  and  other  evil  spirits 
that  frequent  funeral  ceremonies,  take  possession  of  men's 
bodies,  and  disturb  the  sacrifices. 

We  have  already,  in  another  work,1  discussed  that  por- 
tion of  the  Book  of  the  Pitris,  notwithstanding  its  vul- 

1  History  of  the  Virgins. 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  137 

garity,  and  we  see  no  reason  to  change  the  opinion  therein 
expressed,  which  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  call  to  the  reader's 
mind.  He  will  excuse  us  for  quoting  ourselves  : 

Magic  seems  to  have  established  itself  in  India,  as  in 
some  highly  favored  spot.  In  that  country  nothing  is  at- 
tributed to  ordinary  causes,  and  there  is  no  act  of  malig- 
nancy or  of  wickedness  of  which  the  Hindus  deem  their 
magicians  incapable. 

Disappointments,  obstacles,  accidents,  diseases,  untimely 
deaths,  the  barrenness  of  women,  miscarriages,  epizootics, 
in  short,  all  the  ills  that  humanity  is  heir  to,  are  attributed 
to  the  occult  and  diabolical  practices  of  some  wicked 
magician,  in  the  pay  of  an  enemy. 

If  an  Indian,  when  he  meets  with  a  misfortune,  happens 
to  be  on  bad  terms  with  anybody,  his  suspicions  are  im- 
mediately directed  in  that  quarter,  and.  he  accuses  his 
enemy  of  resorting  to  magic  in  order  to  injure  him. 

The  latter,  however,  resents  the  imputation.  Their 
feelings  become  embittered  against  each  other,  the  dis- 
agreement soon  extends  to  their  relatives  and  friends,  and 
the  consequences  often  become  serious. 

As  malign  spirits  are  exorcised,  pursued,  and  hunted  by 
the  followers  of  the  Pitris,  it  is  the  vulgar  belief  that  they 
enter  the  service  of  vagabonds  and  miscreants,  and  teach 
them  special  magical  formulas,  by  which  they  seek  together 
to  do  all  possible  harm  to  others. 

Several  thousand  years  of  sacerdotal  despotism,  during 
which  every  means  have  been  employed  to  keep  the  peo- 
ple in  ignorance  and  superstition,  have  carried  popular 
credulity  to  its  highest  pitch. 

In  the  South  of  India  particularly  we  constantly  meet 
with  crowds  of  soothsayers  and  sorcerers,  vending  their 
oracles  to  any  one  who  would  purchase  them,  and  spread- 
ing before  rich  and  poor  alike  for  a  consideration  the  pre- 
tended mystery  of  human  destiny. 

These  people  are  not  much  dreaded. 


138  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

But  there  are  others,  whose  diabolical  art  is  thought  to 
be  unlimited,  and  who  are  supposed  to  possess  all  the 
secrets  of  magic. 

To  inspire  love  or  hatred,  to  introduce  the  devil  into 
any  one's  body,  or  to  drive  him  away,  to  cause  sudden 
death  or  an  incurable  disease,  to  produce  contagious  mala- 
dies in  cattle,  or  to  protect  them  therefrom,  to  discover  the 
most  secret  things,  and  to  find  lost  or  stolen  articles — all 
this  is  but  child's  play  for  them. 

The  mere  sight  of  one  who  is  supposed  to  be  endowed 
with  such  vast  power  inspires  the  Hindu  with  the  deepest 
terror. 

These  doctors  of  magic  are  often  consulted  by  persons 
who  have  enemies,  of  whom  they  desire  to  be  revenged, 
by  means  of  sorcery.  On  the  other  hand,  when  any  one 
who  suffers  from  disease  attributes  it  to  a  cause  of  this 
kind,  he  calls  in  their  aid,  that  they  may  deliver  him  by  a 
counter-charm,  or  transfer  the  disease  to  those  who  have 
so  maliciously  caused  it  in  his  case. 

The  supplementary  volume  of  the  Agrouchada-Parik- 
chai,  treating  of  the  practices  of  vulgar  magic,  does  not 
seem  to  question  them  in  any  respect ;  it  merely  attributes 
them  to  the  influence  of  evil  spirits. 

In  its  view,  the  magician's  power  is  immense,  but  he 
only  uses  it  for  evil  purposes. 

Nothing  is  easier  than  for  him  to  afflict  any  one  whom  he 
may  meet  with  fever,  dropsy,  epilepsy,  insanity,  a  constant 
nervous  trembling,  or  any  other  disease,  in  short.  But  that 
is  nothing.  By  his  art  he  can  even  cause  the  entire  destruc- 
tion of  an  army  besieging  a  city,  or  the  sudden  death  of 
the  commander  of  a  besieged  city  and  of  all  its  inhabitants. 

But  while  magic  teaches  how  to  do  harm,  it  also  shows 
us  how  to  prevent  it.  There  is  no  magician  so  shrewd  that 
there  is  not  another  who  can  more  than  match  him  in 
ability,  or  destroy  the  effect  of  his  charms,  and  make  them 
rebound  upon  himself  or  his  patrons. 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  139 

Independent  of  their  direct  intervention,  the  magicians 
have  a  large  assortment  of  amulets,  talismans,  and  powerful 
and  efficient  preservatives  against  sorcery  and  enchant- 
ments, in  which  they  do  a  large  business  and  make  a  great 
deal  of  money. 

They  consist  of  glass  beads,  enchanted  by  mentrams,  of 
dried  and  aromatic  roots  and  herbs,  of  sheets  of  copper 
upon  which  cabalistic  characters,  uncouth  figures,  and  fan- 
tastical words  are  engraved. 

The  Hindus  of  the  lower  castes  always  wear  them  upon 
their  persons,  thinking  that  a  supply  of  these  relics  will 
protect  them  from  all  harm. 

Secret  preparations  to  inspire  love,  to  kindle  anew  an 
expiring  passion,  to  restore  vigor  to  the  weak  and  infirm, 
come  also  within  the  province  of  the  magicians,  and  are 
by  no  means  the  least  unproductive  source  of  their  in- 
come. 

It  is  to  them  a  woman  always  applies  first  when  she 
wishes  to  reclaim  a  faithless  husband,  or  prevent  his  be- 
coming such. 

It  is  by  the  aid  of  the  philters  they  concoct  that  a  young 
libertine  or  a  sweetheart  usually  tries  to  beguile  or  cap- 
tivate the  object  of  his  passion. 

The  Agrouchada  also  discusses  the  subject  of  incubi. 
"  These  demons  in  India,"  says  Dubois,  "  are  much  worse 
and  more  diabolical,  than  those  spoken  of  by  Delrio  the 
Jesuit,  in  his  '  Disquisitiones  Magicse.'  By  their  violent 
and  long-continued  embraces  they  so  weary  the  women 
whom  they  visit  in  the  form  of  a  dog,  a  tiger,  or  some 
other  animal,  that  the  poor  creatures  often  die  of  fatigue 
and  exhaustion." 

It  then  speaks  at  some  length  of  the  means  by  which 
weapons  may  be  enchanted  or  bewitched. 

These  arms  upon  which  magical  mentrams  have  been 
pronounced,  have  the  virtue  of  producing  effects  which 
will  compare  in  every  respect  with  those  caused  by  the 


140  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

celebrated  sword  of  Durandal,  or  the  lance  of  Argail,  by 
which  so  many  were  disabled. 

The  Hindu  gods  and  giants,  in  their  frequent  wars  with 
each  other,  always  made  use  of  enchanted  arms. 

Nothing  could  withstand,  for  instance,  the  arrow  of 
Brahma,  which  was  never  unsheathed  without  destroying 
an  entire  army ;  or  the  arrow  of  the  serpent  Capel,  which, 
whenever  it  was  cast  among  his  enemies,  had  the  property 
of  throwing  them  into  a  state  of  lethargy  which,  as  may 
well  be  imagined,  put  them  at  a  great  disadvantage  and 
contributed  largely  to  their  defeat. 

There  is  no  secret  that  magic  does  not  teach.  There 
are  magical  secrets  how  to  acquire  wealth  and  honors  ;  to 
render  sterile  women  prolific  by  rubbing  the  hands  and  feet 
with  certain  enchanted  compounds;  to  discover  treasures 
buried  in  the  earth,  or  concealed  in  some  secret  place,  no 
matter  where ;  and  to  make  the  bearer  invulnerable,  or 
even  invincible,  in  battle. 

The  only  thing  they  are  not  so  clear  about  is  the  subject 
of  everlasting  life ;  and  yet  who  can  tell  how  many  al- 
chemists have  grown  white  in  the  crypts  of  the  pagodas, 
and  how  many  strange  philters  have  been  there  concocted 
in  order  to  learn  the  secret  of  immortality  ? 

To  become  expert  in  magic  the  pupil  must  learn  from 
a  magician  himself,  whom  the  sorcerers  call  their  Guru, 
like  the  believers  in  the  philosophical  doctrine  of  the 
Pitris,  the  formulas  of  evocation,  by  means  of  which  the 
malign  spirits  are  brought  into  complete  subjection. 

Some  of  these  spirits  the  magician  evokes  in  preference 
to  others,  probably  on  account  of  their  willingness  to  do 
anything  that  may  be  required  of  them. 

In  the  first  rank  are  the  spirits  of  certain  planets.  The 
name,  Grahas,  which  is  used  to  designate  them,  means 
the  act  of  seizing  or  taking  possession  of  those  whom  they 
are  commanded,  by  a  magical  incantation,  to  torment. 

In  the  next  rank  come  the  boutams,  or  demons  from 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  141 

the  lower  regions,  representing  each  a  principle  of  destruc- 
tion, the  pisatchas,  rakchasas,  nagas,  and  other  evil  spirits. 

The  chaktys  are  female  genii,  who  force  men  whom 
they  meet  at  night. 

The  malign  spirits  are  Kali,  the  Goddess  of  Blood, 
Marana-Devy,  the  Goddess  of  Death,  and  the  others 
whom  we  have  enumerated. 

In  order  to  set  them  in  motion  the  magician  has  re- 
course to  various  mysterious  operations,  such  as  men- 
trams,  sacrifices,  and  other  different  formulas.  He  should 
be  nude  when  he  addresses  himself  to  goddesses,  and  mod- 
estly clothed  when  he  addresses  himself  to  male  spirits. 

The  flowers  that  he  offers  to  the  spirits  evoked  by  him 
should  all  be  red,  and  the  boiled  rice  should  be  colored 
with  the  blood  of  a  young  virgin,  or  a  child,  in  case  he 
proposes  to  cause  death. 

The  mentrams,  or  prayers,  which  have  such  efficacy  in 
all  magical  matters,  exercise  such  an  ascendancy  upon  the 
superior  spirits  themselves  that  the  latter  are  powerless  to 
refuse  to  do  whatever  the  magician  may  order,  in  heaven, 
in  the  air,  or  upon  the  earth. 

But  those  which  are  most  certain  and  irresistible  in  their 
effects  are  what  are  called  the  fundamental  mentrams,  and 
consist  of  various  fantastical  monosyllables,  of  uncouth 
sound  and  difficult  pronunciation,  after  the  manner  of 
those  which  we  have  already  given  while  speaking  of  the 
formulas  used  by  the  priests. 

Sometimes  the  magician  repeats  his  mentrams  in  a 
respectful  tone,  ending  all  his  evocations  with  the  word 
Namaha^  meaning  respectful  greeting,  and  loading  the 
spirit  that  he  has  evoked  with  praises.  At  other  times  he 
speaks  to  them  in  an  imperious  and  dictatorial  tone,  ex- 
claiming in  angry  accents : 

"If  you  are  willing  to  do  what  I  ask  you,  that  is 
enough ;  if  not,  I  command  you  in  the  name  of  such  and 
such  a  god." 


142  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

Thereupon  the  spirit  had  to  submit. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  enumerate  the  different  drugs, 
ingredients,  and  implements  that  compose  the  stock-in- 
trade  of  a  magician. 

There  are  some  spells  in  which  it  is  necessary  to  use  the 
bones  of  sixty-four  different  kinds  of  animals,  neither 
more  nor  less,  and  among  them  are  included  those  of  a 
man  born  on  the  first  day  of  the  new  moon,  or  of  a  woman, 
or  a  virgin,  or  a  child,  or  a  pariah. 

When  all  these  bones,  being  mingled  together,  are  en- 
chanted by  mentrams  and  consecrated  by  sacrifices,  arid 
are  buried  in  an  enemy's  house  or  at  his  door,  upon  a 
night  ascertained  to  be  propitious,  after  an  inspection  of 
the  stars  for  that  purpose,  his  death  will  infallibly  fol- 
low. 

In  like  manner,  if  the  magician,  in  the  silence  of 
night,  should  bury  the  bones  in  question  in  an  enemy's 
camp  at  the  four  cardinal  points  of  the  compass,  and  then, 
retiring  to  a  distance,  should  pronounce  the  mentram  of 
defeat,  all  the  troops  there  encamped  would  utterly  perish, 
or  else  would  scatter  to  the  four  winds  of  heaven,  of  their 
own  accord,  before  seven  days  had  elapsed. 

Thirty-two  enchanted  arms  thrown  among  a  besieging 
army  would  cause  such  a  fright  that  a  hundred  men  would 
seem  like  a  thousand. 

Of  a  mixture  of  earth  taken  from  sixty-four  most  dis- 
gusting places — we  refrain  from  accompanying  the  Hindu 
author  in  his  enumeration  of  the  places  in  question — min- 
gled with  his  enemy's  hair  and  nail-clippings,  small  figures 
are  made,  upon  whose  bosom  the  name  of  the  person  upon 
whom  it  is  desired  to  take  revenge  is  inscribed.  Magical 
words  and  mentrams  are  then  pronounced  over  them,  and 
they  are  consecrated  by  sacrifices.  As  soon  as  this  is 
done,  the  grahas,  or  evil  genii  of  the  planets,  take  posses- 
sion of  the  person  who  is  the  subject  of  animosity,  and  he 
is  subjected  to  all  sorts  of  evil  treatment. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  143 

Sometimes  these  figures  are  transfixed  with  an  awl,  or 
are  injured  in  various  ways,  with  the  object  of  really 
killing  or  disabling  him  who  is  the  object  of  vengeance. 

Sixty-four  roots  of  various  kinds  of  the  most  noxious 
plants  are  known  to  the  magicians,  which  in  their  hands 
become  the  most  powerful  weapons  for  the  secret  infliction 
of  the  deadliest  blows  upon  those  at  whom  they  are  aimed. 

Notwithstanding,  the  occupation  of  a  magician  is  not 
without  danger  by  any  means.  The  gods  and  evil  genii 
are  very  vindictive  and  never  obey  the  injunctions  of  a 
miserable  mortal  very  good-humoredly.  It  often  happens 
that  they  punish  him  very  severely  for  the  brutal  way  in 
which  he  orders  them  about. 

Woe  to  him  if  he  makes  the  slightest  mistake,  if  he  is 
guilty  of  the  most  insignificant  omission  of  the  innumerable 
ceremonies  which  are  obligatory  upon  him  in  the  perform- 
ance of  an  evocation.  All  the  ills  that  were  intended  for 
others  are  incontinently  showered  down  upon  his  own  head. 

He  is  constantly  in  fear,  it  seems,  lest  some  other  mem- 
ber of  the  same  confraternity,  of  greater  ability  than  him- 
self, may  succeed  in  making  his  own  imprecations  rebound 
upon  himself  or  his  patrons. 

All  these  superstitious  doctrines  still  exist  in  India,  and 
most  of  the  pagodas  belonging  to  the  vulgar  cult  possess, 
apart  from  the  higher  priests  whom  they  are  compelled  to 
lodge  and  feed,  a  body  of  magicians  whose  services  are 
let  out  to  the  lower  castes,  in  precisely  the  same  way  as 
those  of  the  Fakirs. 

Now  they  undertake  to  rid  a  woman  from  the  nocturnal 
embraces  of  an  incubus  :  at  another  time  they  undertake 
to  restore  the  virile  power  of  a  man  where  it  has  been  lost 
in  consequence  of  a  spell  cast  by  some  opposing  magician. 

At  other  times,  they  are  called  upon  to  protect  flocks, 
that  have  been  decimated  through  the  enchantments  of 
others,  against  all  noxious  influences. 

From  time  to  time,  in  order  to  keep  alive  in  the  public 


144  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IIS"   INDIA. 

mind  the  belief  in  these  sacred  doctrines,  these  jugglers 
send  out  challenges  to  other  pagodas,  and  publicly  engage 
in  contests,  in  the  presence  of  witnesses  and  arbitrators, 
who  are  called  in  to  decide  which  of  the  two  champions  is 
the  more  accomplished  in  his  art. 

The  object  of  the  contest  is  to  obtain  possession  of  an 
enchanted  bit  of  straw,  a  small  stick,  or  a  piece  of  money. 

The  antagonists  are  both  placed  at  the  same  distance 
from  the  object,  whatever  it  may  be,  and  they  both  make 
believe  to  approach  it,  but  the  mentrams  they  utter,  the 
evocations  they  perform,  the  enchanted  powders  which  they 
reciprocally  throw  at  each  other,  possess  a  virtue  which 
repels  them  :  an  invincible  and  overpowering  force  seems 
to  stand  in  the  way ;  they  make  fresh  attempts  to  advance 
but  they  are  forced  back ;  they  redouble  their  efforts ; 
they  fall  into  spasms  and  convulsions,  they  perspire  pro- 
fusely and  spit  blood.  Ultimately  one  of  them  obtains 
possession  of  the  enchanted  object  and  is  declared  the 
victor. 

It  sometimes  happens  that  one  of  the  combatants  is  over- 
thrown by  the  power  of  his  adversary's  mentrams.  In 
that  case  he  rolls  on  the  ground  as  though  he  were  pos- 
sessed by  a  demon,  and  remains  there  motionless  for  some 
time,  appearing  to  have  lost  his  mind. 

At  last  he  recovers  the  use  of  his  senses,  arises  in  an 
apparent  state  of  fatigue  and  exhaustion,  and  seems  to 
retire  covered  with  shame  and  confusion.  He  returns  to 
the  pagoda  and  does  not  make  his  appearance  again  for 
some  time.  A  serious  sickness  is  supposed  to  have  ensued 
in  consequence  of  the  incredible,  though  ineffectual,  efforts 
he  has  made. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  these  pitiable  farces,  with  which 
those  who  have  been  honestly  initiated  into  the  genuine 
worship  of  the  Pitris  are  in  no  way  connected  whatever, 
are  all  concerted  in  advance,  between  the  priests  belonging 
to  the  vulgar  cult  of  the  rival  pagodas  and  the  charlatans 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  145 

by  whom  they  are  performed,  and  the  victory  is  ascribed 
to  each  in  turn.  But  the  multitude  who  witness  these 
spectacles,  and  who  pay  generously  for  them,  are  filled 
with  fear  and  admiration  of  the  sorcerers  themselves,  and 
are  firmly  persuaded  that  their  contortions  are  due  to  super- 
natural causes. 

There  is  one  fact  of  which  there  can  be  no  doubt,  and 
that  is,  that  these  men  perform  their  part  with  extraor- 
dinary truthfulness  and  expression,  and  that  within  the 
domain  of  pure  magnetism  they  are  really  able  to  produce 
phenomena  of  which  we  have  no  idea  in  Europe.  They 
are,  however,  inferior  in  ability  to  the  Fakirs,  belonging 
to  the  first  class  of  initiates. 

When,  however,  we  come  to  consider  the  external  mani- 
festations by  means  of  which  the  believers  in  the  Pitris  dis- 
play their  power,  we  shall  look  upon  the  performances  of  the 
magicians  as  trifling  in  comparison  and  unworthy  of  further 
consideration.  They  are  obviously  due  to  trickery  and  de- 
ception ;  we  have  already  devoted  quite  enough  space  to 
them  to  give  the  reader  an  idea  of  what  they  can  do. 

There  also  exists  in  India  another  kind  of  enchantment, 
which  is  called  drichty-dotcha,  or  a  spell  cast  by  the  eyes. 
All  animated  beings,  all  plants,  all  fruits  are  subject  to  it. 
In  order  to  remove  it,  it  is  customary  to  erect  a  pole  in  all 
gardens  or  cultivated  fields,  at  the  top  of  which  is  attached 
a  large  earthen  vessel,  the  inside  of  which  is  whitened 
with  whitewash :  it  is  placed  there,  being  a  conspicuous  and 
noticeable  object,  in  order  to  attract  the  attention  of  any 
passing  enemy,  and  thus  prevent  his  looking  at  the  crops, 
which  would  certainly  be  thereby  injured. 

We  have  rarely  seen  a  rice-field  in  Ceylon  or  India  that 
was  not  provided  with  one  or  more  of  these  counter- 
charms. 

The  Hindus  are  so  credulous  upon  this  point  that  they 
are  continually  fancying  that  they  cannot  perform  a  single 
act  of  their  lives,  or  take  a  single  step,  however  insignifi- 
10 


146  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

cant  it  may  be,  without  danger  of  receiving  from  a  neigh- 
bor, or  a  mere  passer-by,  or  even  a  relative,  the  dricfity- 
dotcha.  There  is  nothing  in  the  appearance  of  those  who 
possess  this  fatal  gift  to  indicate  that  they  are  so  endowed. 
Those  who  have  it  are  often  unconscious  of  it  themselves. 
For  this  reason  every  Hindu,  several  times  a  day,  causes 
to  be  performed  in  the  case  of  himself,  his  family,  his 
fields,  and  his  house,  the  ceremony  of  the  arratty,  the 
design  of  which  is  to  counteract  any  harm  that  might 
otherwise  befall  him  from  spells  cast  by  the  eyes. 

The  arratty  is  one  of  their  commonest  practices, 
whether  public  or  private.  It  may  almost  be  elevated  to 
the  height  of  a  national  custom,  so  general  is  it  in  every 
province.  It  is  always  performed  by  women,  and  any 
woman  is  qualified  to  perform  it  except  widows,  who  are 
never  admitted  to  any  domestic  ceremony,  their  mere 
presence  alone  being  unlucky. 

The  ceremony  is  performed  as  follows  : 

A  lamp  full  of 'oil,  perfumed  with  sandal- wood,  is  placed 
on  a  metal  plate.  It  is  then  lighted,  and  one  of  the 
women  of  the  household  when  her  father,  or  husband,  or 
any  other  member  of  the  family,  comes  in  from  outdoors, 
takes  the  plate  in  her  hand,  and  raises  it  as  high  as  the 
head  of  the  person  upon  whom  the  ceremony  is  to  be  per- 
formed, and  describes  therewith  either  three  or  seven 
circles  according  to  his  or  her  age  or  rank. 

Instead  of  a  lighted  lamp,  a  vase  is  often  used  contain- 
ing water  perfumed  with  sandal-wood  and  saffron,  red- 
dened by  vermilion,  and  consecrated  by  the  immersion  of 
a  few  stalks  of  the  divine  cousa  grass. 

The  arratty  is  publicly  performed  several  times  a  day 
upon  persons  of  distinction,  such  as  rajahs,  provincial 
governors,  army  generals,  or  others  of  elevated  rank.  It 
is  a  ceremony  to  which  courtiers  are  bidden,  as  formerly 
with  us  to  the  king's  levee.  One  practice  is  quite  as  ridicu- 
lous to  us  as  the  other,  and  judging  from  what  we  have 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  147 

ourselves  seen,  in  certain  provinces  in  the  Deccan,  where 
the  English  have  allowed  a  few  phantoms  of  rajahs  still 
to  remain,  the  courtiers  in  this  country  are  quite  as  de- 
graded and  servile  a  class  as  with  us.  They  pay  for  the 
crumbs  they  receive  and  the  favors  they  enjoy  by  the  sac- 
rifice of  every  feeling  of  conscience  or  dignity.  It  is  the 
same  everywhere.  We  must  say,  however,  to  the  credit 
of  the  Hindu  courtiers,  that  they  never  made  their  wives 
or  daughters  the  mistresses  of  their  rajahs. 

As  a  general  thing,  a  Hindu  of  any  caste  would  blush 
to  owe  his  own  preferment  to  the  dishonor  of  his  wife. 

Whenever  persons  belonging  to  a  princely  rank  have 
been  obliged  to  appear  in  public,  or  to  speak  to  strangers, 
they  never  fail,  upon  returning  to  their  palaces,  to  summon 
their  wives  or  send  for  their  devadassis  from  the  neighbor- 
ing temple  to  perform  this  ceremony  upon  them,  and  thus 
prevent  the  serious  consequences  that  might  otherwise  re- 
sult from  any  baleful  glances  to  which  they  may  have  been 
exposed.  They  often  have  in  their  pay  girls  specially 
employed  for  that  purpose. 

Whenever  you  enter  a  Hindu  house,  if  you  are  regarded 
as  a  person  of  distinction,  the  head  of  the  family  directs 
the  young  women  to  perform  the  ceremony  of  arratty.  It 
is  also  performed  for  the  statues  of  the  gods. 

When  the  dancing-girls  at  the  temples  have  finished 
their  other  ceremonies,  they  never  fail  to  perform  the 
arratty  two  or  three  times  over  the  gods  to  whose  service 
they  are  attached. 

This  is  also  practised  with  still  more  solemnity  when 
their  statues  are  carried  in  procession  through  the  streets. 
Its  object  is  to  avert  any  bad  consequences  resulting  from 
glances  which  it  is  as  difficult  for  the  gods  to  avoid  as 
simple  mortals.  Finally,  the  arratty  is  generally  per- 
formed upon  elephants,  horses,  domestic  animals,  and  par- 
ticularly upon  the  sacred  bullocks,  and  even  sometimes 
upon  growing  fields  of  rice. 


148  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

Beside  the  more  elevated  doctrines  taught  by  those  who 
believe  in  the  Pitris,  vulgar  magic  in  India  takes  its  place 
as  a  degenerate  descendant.  It  was  the  work  of  the  lower 
priesthood  and  intended  to  keep  the  people  in  a  constant 
state  of  apprehension.  In  all  times,  and  in  all  places,  by 
the  side  of  the  most  elevated  philosophical  speculations, 
we  always  find  the  religion  of  the  people. 

We  have  dwelt  at  some  length  upon  the  practice 
of  magic  and  sorcery  in  India,  though  they  have  nothing 
whatever  to  do  with  the  higher  worship  which  initiated 
Brahmins  pay  to  the  shades  of  their  ancestors  and  the  su- 
perior spirits,  for  the  reason  that  nothing  was  better  cal- 
culated to  prove  the  Asiatic  origin  of  most  of  the  nations 
of  Europe  than  a  detailed  description  of  these  strange 
customs,  which  are  identical  with  many  that  we  meet  with 
upon  our  own  soil,  and  of  which  our  historical  traditions 
furnished  us  no  explanation  until  we  made  the  discovery 
that  we  were  related  to  the  Hindus  by  descent. 

People  in  the  middle  ages  believed  implicitly  in  succubi 
and  incubi,  in  the  efficacy  of  magical  formulas,  in  sorcery 
and  the  evil  eye.  Coming  down  to  a  period  nearer  our  own 
times,  we  have  not  forgotten  those  fanatical  leaguers^  who 
carried  their  superstition  to  such  a  pitch  that  they  used  to 
make  little  images  of  wax  representing  Henry  III.  and  the 
King  of  Navarre.  They  were  accustomed  to  transfix  these 
images  in  different  places  and  keep  them  so  for  a  period 
of  forty  days.  On  the  fortieth  day  they  stabbed  them  to 
the  heart,  fully  persuaded  that  they  would  thus  cause  the 
death  of  the  princes  they  were  designed  to  represent 
Practices  of  this  kind  were  so  common  that,  in  1571,  a  pre- 
tended sorcerer  named  Trois-Echelles,  who  was  executed 
on  the  Place  de  Greve,  declared  in  his  examination  that 
there  were  more  than  three  thousand  persons  engaged  in 
the  same  business,  and  that  there  was  not  a  woman  at 
court,  or  belonging  to  the  middle  or  lower  class,  who  did 
not  patronize  the  magicians,  particularly  in  love  matters. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  149 

The  execution  of  Gauffredy,  the  cure,  and  of  Urbain 
Grandier,  by  Richelieu's  orders,  sufficiently  demonstrate 
that  the  greatest  minds  of  the  time  were  not  able  to 
withstand  the  influence  of  these  superstitions. 

"We  read  in  Saint  Augustine's  Book,  called  "  The  City  of 
God,"  that  disbelief  in  the  power  of  evil  spirits  was  equiv- 
alent to  a  refusal  to  believe  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  them- 
selves. 

The  Bible,  which  is  taken  from  the  sacred  books  of  an- 
tiquity, believed  in  sorcery,  and  the  sorcerer  must  stand  or 
fall  with  the  authority  of  the  Bible. 

It  is  scarcely  a  century  since  persons  convicted  of  magic 
were  burnt  at  the  stake,  and  we  are  struck  with  amazement 
by  some  of  the  sentences  rendered  by  magistrates,  still 
highly  esteemed  by  their  countrymen,  according  to  which, 
upon  the  mere  charge  of  sorcery,  poor  people  suffered 
death  by  fire  as  charlatans,  who,  at  the  most,  were  only 
guilty  of  having  cheated  their  neighbors  out  of  a  few  sols 
by  contrivances  which  were  rather  calculated  to  excite 
mirth  than  to  do  any  serious  injury. 

It  is  difficult  to  understand  these  sentences,  except  by 
supposing  that  the  magistrates  themselves  were  in  the  oc- 
cult power  of  the  sorcerers. 

In  1T50,  a  Jesuit  named  Girard  had  a  narrow  escape 
from  being  burnt  alive  by  a  decree  of  the  parliament  of 
Provence,  for  having  cast  a  spell  upon  the  fair  Cadiere. 
He  was  saved  by  the  disagreement  of  his  judges,  who  were 
equally  divided  in  opinion  as  to  his  guilt.  He  was  given 
the  benefit  of  the  doubt. 

A  nun  of  the  noble  Chapter  of  Wurtzburg  was  burnt 
at  the  stake  in  the  same  year  for  being  guilty  of  magical 
practices. 

Since  that  time,  fortunately,  we  have  made  some  progress. 

When  we  threw  off  the  yoke  of  the  Romish  priest,  from 
that  day  common  sense,  conscience,  and  reason  resumed 
their  sway,  and  while  our  Hindu  ancestors,  who  are  yet 


150  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

under  the  dominion  of  their  Brahmins  and  Necromancers, 
still  slumber  on  in  the  last  stages  of  decrepitude  and  decay, 
we  have  made  great  strides  in  the  path  of  scientific  prog- 
ress and  intellectual  liberty. 

We  always  meet  the  priest  and  sorcerer  upon  the  same 
plane  of  social  charlatanism.  They  are  both  products  of 
superstition  and  grow  out  of  the  same  causes. 

From  an  ethnographic  point  of  view,  it  is  interesting  to 
observe  that  the  Romans  also  inherited  similar  opinions 
from  their  Hindu  ancestors. 

We  remember  what  Ovid  said  of  Medea,  the  magician  : 

Per  tumulos  erat  passis  discincta  capillis, 
Certaque  de  tepidis  colligit  ossa  rogis, 
Devovet  absentes,  simulacraque  cerea  fingit 
Et  miserum  tenues  in  jecur  urget  acus. 

Horace  also  speaks  of  two  magicians,  named  Canidia 
and  Sagana,  whose  apparatus  contained  two  figures,  one  of 
wool  and  the  other  of  wax. 

Major 

Lanea,  quae  poenis  compesceret  inferiorem : 
Cerea  suppliciter  stabat :  servilibus  utque 
Jam  peritura,  modis. 

We  must  confess,  however,  that  the  Lydian  singer  was 
not  very  much  in  earnest  in  speaking  of  them,  when  we 
consider  the  noise — Proh  pudor  / — by  whose  aid  he  caused 
them  to  be  put  to  flight  by  the  god  of  gardens,  who  was 
annoyed  by  their  enchantments. 

Horace  would  certainly  not  have  sent  his  two  witches  to 
the  stake. 

The  same  ideas  with  regard  to  visual  influences  also  ex- 
isted among  the  Romans,  as  shown,  among  other  things, 
by  the  following  line  from  Yirgil : 

Nescio  quis  teneros  oculus  mihi  fascinat  agnos. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IK   INDIA.  151 

They  had  their  god  Fascinus  and  their  amulets  of  that 
name,  which  were  designed  to  protect  children  from  injury 
from  that  source.  The  statue  of  the  same  god,  suspended 
from  the  triumphal  car,  was  a  protection  to  its  occupants 
from  any  harm  that  might  otherwise  befall  them  from  the 
evil  eye  of  envy. 

The  object  of  the  present  work  is  not  so  much  the  study 
of  magic  in  ancient  times,  as  that  of  the  more  elevated  re- 
ligious beliefs,  under  whose  guidance  the  vital  atom  suc- 
cessively progressed  from  one  transformation  to  another, 
until  it  was  absorbed  in  the  Great  All ;  which  look  upon 
the  world  of  souls  as  being  nothing  but  a  succession  of  off- 
spring and  ancestors,  who  never  forget  each  other  :  beliefs 
which  indeed  we  may  not  entertain,  but  which  are  em- 
balmed in  a  most  mysterious  and  consolatory  creed  and 
are  entitled  to  our  respect. 

The  present  chapter  with  regard  to  Hindu  magic  is 
merely  an  episode  which  we  do  not  propose  to  extend 
further ;  otherwise  we  might  show  that  the  popular  tradi- 
tions with  regard  to  sorcery  in  India  found  their  way  also 
into  Greece,  Rome,  and  ancient  Chaldea. 

One  word  hovever  about  this  latter  country,  which,  as 
claimed  by  Berosus,  ^Eschylus,  and  Herodotus,  was  colo- 
nized by  a  multitude  of  unknown  people  and  mixed  tribes, 
speaking  different  languages. 

India,  with  its  hundred  and  twenty-five  dialects  and  its 
various  castes,  so  different  from  each  other,  was  the  only 
country,  at  that  time,  from  which  emigration  was  con- 
stantly going  on,  in  order  to  avoid  sacerdotal  persecution, 
and  from  which,  consequently,  the  countries  bordering  upon 
the  Tigris  and  the  Euphrates  could  possibly  have  been  col- 
onized. 

To  all  the  ethnographic  facts,  which  go  to  show  that  the 
assertion  here  made  is  historically  correct,  may  be  further 
added  the  great  similarity  existing  between  the  magical 
practices  and  beliefs  of  the  Hindus  and  Chaldeans. 


152  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  Assyrian  inscriptions  re- 
lating to  magical  enchantments,  taken  from  a  recent  pub- 
lication by  Messrs.  Rawlinson  &  Norris,  which  show  how 
largely  Chaldea  was  indebted  to  India. 

"The  form  of  the  Chaldean  conjurations  against  evil 
spirits,"  says  the  eminent  Assyriologist,  "  is  very  monoto- 
nous. They  are  all  cast  in  the  same  mould.  They  begin 
with  a  list  of  the  demons  to  be  overcome  by  the  conjura- 
tion, together  with  a  description  of  the  character  and 
effects  of  their  power.  This  is  followed  by  the  expres- 
sion of  a  desire  to  see  them  driven  away,  or  of  being  pro- 
tected from  them,  which  is  often  presented  in  an  affirmative 
form.  The  formula  finally  concludes  with  a  mysterious 
invocation,  from  which  it  derives  all  its  efficacy.  c  Spirit 
of  Heaven,  remember ;  Spirit  of  Earth,  remember.'  That 
alone  is  necessary  and  never  fails  ;  but  sometimes  similar 
invocations  to  other  divine  spirits  are  also  added. 

"  I  will  give  as  an  example,  one  of  these  conjurations  to 
be  used  against  different  bad  demons,  maladies,  or  acts, 
such  as  the  evil  eye. 

— The  pestilence,  or  fever,  that  lays  waste  the  country. 
The  plague  that  devastates  the  land,  bad  for  the  body,  and 
injurious  to  the  bowels. 

— The  bad  demon,  the  bad  Alal,  the  bad  Gigim. 

— The  evil  man,  the  evil  eye,  the  evil  mouth,  the  evil 
tongue,  may  they  come  out  of  the  body,  may  they  come 
out  of  the  bowels  of  the  man,  son  of  his  God. 

— They  shall  never  enter  into  possession  of  my  body. 

— They  shall  never  do  any  harm  before  me.  They 
shall  never  walk  after  me. 

—They  shall  never  enter  into  my  house. 

— They  shall  never  cross  my  frame. 

— They  shall  never  enter  the  house  of  my  habitation. 

— Spirit  of  Heaven,  remember !  Spirit  of  Earth,  re- 
member ! 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  153 

— Spirit  of  Moul-ge,  lord  of  countries,  remember ! 

— Spirit  of  Nin-gelal,  lady  of  countries,  remember  ! 

— Spirit  of  !Nin-dar,  powerful  warrior  of  Moul-ge,  re- 
member ! 

— Spirit  of  Pa-kou,  sublime  intelligence  of  Moul-ge,  re- 
member ! 

— Spirit  of  En-zouna,  eldest  son  of  Moul-ge,  remember ! 

— Spirit  of  Tiskou,  lady  of  armies,  remember  ! 

— Spirit  of  Im,  king  whose  impetuosity  is  beneficent, 
remember ! 

— Spirit  of  Oud,  king  of  justice,  remember ! 

"  The  following  is  another,  where  the  final  enumeration 
is  not  so  long : 

— The  evening  of  evil  omen,  the  region  of  heaven  that 
produces  misfortune, 

— The  fatal  day,  the  region  of  the  sky  bad  for  obser- 
vation, 

— The  fatal  day,  the  bad  region  of  the  sky,  that  ad- 
vances, 

— Messengers  of  the  plague, 

— Ravagers  of  Nin-ki-gal, 

— The  thunder  that  rages  throughout  the  country, 

— The  seven  gods  of  the  vast  heavens, 

— The  seven  gods  of  the  vast  earth, 

— The  seven  gods  of  the  fiery  spheres, 

— The  seven  malicious  gods, 

— The  seven  bad  phantoms, 

— The  seven  malicious  phantoms  of  flames, 

—The  seven  gods  of  heaven, 

— The  seven  gods  of  the  earth, 
—The  bad  demon, 

—The  bad  alal, 

— The  bad  gigim, 

—The  bad  tilol, 


154  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN  INDIA. 

— The  bad  god,  the  bad  maskim, 
— Spirit  of  Heaven,  remember  ! 
— Spirit  of  Earth,  remember ! 
— Sprit  of  Moul-ge,  king  of  countries,  remember ! 
— Spirit  of  Ningelal,  lady  of  countries,  remember  ? 
— Spirit  of  Nin-dar,  son  of  Zenith,  remember ! 
— Spirit  of  Tishkou,  lady  of  countries,  who  shines  in 
the  night,  remember ! 

"  More  commonly,  however,  there  are  no  such  mytho- 
logical enumerations  at  the  end.  As  an  example  of  the 
more  simple  kind  of  formulas,  I  may  mention  a  conjura- 
tion against  the  seven  subterranean  demons,  called  maskim, 
who  were  reckoned  among  the  most  formidable  of  any. 

— The  seven  !  the  seven ! 

— At  the  lowest  bottom  of  the  abyss,  the  seven  ! 
— Abomination  of  heaven !  the  seven  ! 
— Hiding  themselves  in  the  lowest  depths  of  heaven 
and  earth, 

— Neither  male  nor  female, 
— "Water,  stretched  out  captives, 
— Having  no  wives  and  producing  no  children, 
— Knowing  neither  order  nor  good, 
— Hearing  no  prayer, 
— Termin,  that  hidest  in  the  mountain, 
— Enemies  of  the  god  Ea, 
— Eavagers  of  the  gods, 
— Abettors  of  trouble, 
— All-powerful  by  violence, 
— Agents  of  enmity, 
— Spirit  of  Heaven,  remember ! 
— Spirit  of  Earth,  remember !  " 

"We  shall  dwell  no  further  upon  this  point,  however. 
The  above  inscriptions  are  superabundant  proof  that  the 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

practice  of  magic,  as  handed  down  to  the  ancient  Chal- 
deans from  their  ancestors,  the  Hindu  emigrants  of  the 
lower  castes  or  mixed  classes,  as  Berosus  calls  them,  was 
the  utmost  limit  of  their  attainments  in  that  direction. 

The  pure  doctrines,  which  formed  the  subject  of  initia- 
tion, the  worship  of  the  Pitris  and  the  superior  spirits, 
awoke  no  echo  upon  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates.  The 
nomads  and  brick  moulders  of  the  Sennar  country  lived 
in  constant  apprehension  of  the  sorcerers  and  magicians,, 
with  no  idea  even  of  the  existence  of  the  sublime  concep- 
tions of  Brahminism. 

Inscriptions  recorded  upon  granite,  marble,  stone,  or 
baked  earth,  invariably  contain  everything  that  is  most 
elevated  in  the  popular  belief.  We  do  not  select  the 
superstitious  ideas  of  the  multitude  to  bequeath  to  future 
ages,  and,  as  it  were,  to  immortalize  them. 

/  am  all  and  in  all ! 
says  the  Trinitarian  inscription  at  Elephanta,  in  India. 

/  have  begotten  the  world  ! 

says  the  record  upon  the  statue  of  Isis,  which  was  the 
emblem  of  mother  Nature  in  Egypt. 

Know  thyself ! 

such  was  the  inscription  that  appeared  in  front  of  the 
temple  at  Delphi. 

And  the  column  erected  in  the  Agora  at  Athens  was 
inscribed : 

To  the  unknown  God! 

Mingling  in  their  inscriptions  their  gods  and  evil  spirits,, 
such  as  the  gigim,  the  maskim,  and  other  demons,  trem- 
bling with  constant  fear  in  the  presence  of  sexless,  wife- 
less, and  childless  monsters,  before  these  telals,  these  rav* 


156  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

agers  of  heaven,  these  enemies  of  Ea,  the  King  of  the 
Gods,  who  also  seemed  to  tremble  in  their  presence,  the 
Chaldeans  engraved  upon  their  burnt  bricks  nothing  but  ex- 
pressions of  the  grossest  superstition,  for  the  simple  reason 
that  they  had  nothing  else  to  put  there.  If  there  is  any 
one  thing  at  which  we  have  a  right  to  express  our  surprise, 
it  is  that  some  Assyriologists  have  taken  these  ridiculous 
conceptions  as  a  text  from  which  to  prove  that  the  ancient 
Hindus  got  their  first  ideas  from  the  primitive  Chaldeans. 

The  Agrouchada-Parikchai,  in  a  fourth  book,  which  we 
have  already  alluded  to,  in  which  it  gives  an  account  of 
the  magic  practices,  whereby  bad  spirits  are  set  in  mo- 
tion, but  which  is  entirely  ineffectual  as  far  as  the  Pitris, 
or  the  superior  spirits,  or  Swayambhouva,  the  Supreme 
Being,  are  concerned,  and  which  fourth  book  is  entirely 
disconnected  from  the  other  three,  which  are  wholly  de- 
voted to  the  pure  doctrine  of  the  Pitris,  makes  no  secret 
of  the  fact  that  magic  and  sorcery  were  the  only  things 
that  had  any  influence  upon  the  impure  Soudras,  or  the 
common  people  and  Tchandalas,  or  mixed  classes. 

Before  passing  on  to  the  subject  of  the  phenomena  and 
external  manifestations  produced  by  those  who  had  gone 
through  the  various  degrees  of  initiation  in  India,  it  may 
not  be  amiss  to  compare  the  doctrine  of  the  Pitris,  as  we 
have  set  it  forth,  with  the  beliefs  of  the  Jewish  cabalists 
and  of  several  other  philosophers  of  ancient  times,  who 
seem  to  us  to  have  drank  from  the  same  fountain. 


PART  THIRD. 


THE    DOCTRINE    OF    THE    PITEIS    AS    COM- 
PAEED    WITH    THAT    OF    THE    JEWISH 
CABALA,  OF    PLATO,  OF    THE    ALEX- 
ANDRIAN SCHOOL,  OF  PHILO,  OF 
THE    PERSIANS,   AND    OF 
CHRISTIANITY. 


It  is  not  lawful  to  explain  the  history  of  creation  to  two  persons,  or 
the  history  of  the  Mercaba  even  to  one.  If,  however,  he  is  naturally  a 
wise  and  intelligent  man,  he  may  be  intrusted  with  the  heads  of  the 
chapters.  (Extract  from  the  Mischna,  a  Jewish  cabalistic  work,  portions 
of  which  were  translated  by  A.  Franck  of  the  Institute.) 


As  for  the  ten  Sephiroth,  there  is  no  end,  either  in  the  future,  or  in 
the  past,  nor  in  good  or  evil,  nor  in  depth  or  height,  nor  in  the  east, 
west,  north,  or  south.  The  ten  Sephiroth  are  like  the  fingers  of  the 
hands  to  the  number  of  ten,  five  on  either  side,  but  at  the  middle  lays 
the  point  of  unity. 

Keep  your  mouth  closed  that  you  may  not  speak  of  it,  and  your  heart 
that  you  may  not  think  of  it  ;  and  if  your  heart  forgets  itself,  bring  it 
back  again  to  its  place,  for  that  is  the  reason  why  the  union  was  formed. 
<Sephir  Jeoziroh,  a  cabalistic  work,  translated  by  A,  Franck,  of  the 
Institute.) 


THE   DOCTRINE   OF   THE    PITRIS 

AND 

THE    JEWISH    CABALA. 


CHAPTER  I. 

ORIGIN"   OF   THE   CABALA. 

In  opposition  to  the  outward  observances  with  which 
the  prescriptions  of  the  Bible  are  encumbered  under  the 
Jewish  law,  by  which  all  intelligent  action,  all  freedom  of 
the  will  are  crushed  out,  there  arose  gradually  by  its  side, 
in  response  to  a  demand  for  a  greater  independence  of 
thought,  and  a  wider  philosophy,  a  mysterious  doctrine 
which  was  known  by  the  name  of  the  Jewish  Cabala. 

Those  who  believed  in  this  doctrine,  the  object  of  which 
was  to  unfold  the  secrets  of  the  divine  nature,  as  well  as  of 
the  creation,  wrapped  themselves  up  in  silence  and  mystery 
like  initiates  in  the  Indian  temples.  At  distant  intervals, 
says  the  illustrious  Franck,  in  his  admirable  book  upon 
this  mystic  philosophy,1  with  innumerable  precautions 
they  partly  opened  the  doors  of  the  sanctuary  to  some 
new  adept,  who  was  always  chosen  among  those  particu- 
larly eminent  for  their  intellectual  ability,  and  whose  ad- 
vanced age  offered  an  additional  proof  of  their  wisdom 
and  discretion. 

1  The  Cabala,  or  Religious  Philosophy  of  the  Jews. 


160  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

When  a  new  candidate  was  initiated  into  the  mysteries 
of  the  Cabala,  one  of  the  elders  murmured  in  his  ears  the 
following  words : 

"  O  thou  who  hast  now  gone  to  the  fountain-head  of 
all  the  graces,  be  careful,  whenever  tempted  to  do  so, 
not  to  reveal  the  tenet  of  emanation,  which  is  a  great 
mystery  in  the  judgment  of  all  Cabalists.  Another  mys- 
tery is  contained  in  the  following  words  :  '  Thou  shalt  not 
tempt  the  Lord.' " 

The  necessity  of  a  special  initiation,  an  essential  pre- 
requisite of  which  was  that  the  candidate  should  be 
far  advanced  toward  the  close  of  life,  and  the  absolute 
secrecy  which  the  person  initiated  was  expected  to  pre- 
serve with  regard  to  whatever  was  revealed  to  him,  were 
two  points  of  external  discipline,  in  respect  to  which  those 
who  held  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Pitris  in  India,  and  the 
believers  in  the  Jewish  Cabala  were  very  nearly  agreed, 
though,  in  matters  of  belief,  we  shall  soon  see  they  were 
united  by  ties  that  bound  them  still  closer  to  each  other. 
In  all  times  science  has  anxiously  sought  to  discover  the 
origin  of  the  philosophical  system  of  the  Hebrews,  which 
presents  many  points  of  resemblance  with  some  of  the 
Greek  systems  of  Alexandria  and  with  the  mystical  beliefs 
of  Arabia. 

As  the  Cabala  is  manifestly  older  than  the  Alexandrian 
school,  it  cannot  be  successfully  held  to  have  sprung  from 
the  latter,  though  it  may  have  been  influenced  by  it  to  some 
extent.  The  most  that  can  be  claimed  is  that  both  sys- 
tems have  drunk  from  the  same  source.  As  for  the  close 
connection  that  seems  to  exist  between  it  and  the  mystical 
philosophy  of  the  Arabs,  we  may  well  ask,  with  Messrs. 
Franck  and  Tholuck,  who  have  investigated  the  subject  in 
all  its  bearings,  "  What  conclusion  are  we  to  draw  from 
these  many  points  of  resemblance  ?  " 

"  They  are  not  of  much  importance,  it  is  true,  for  what 
is  similar  in  both  systems  is  to  be  found  elsewhere  in  more 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  161 

ancient  systems.  In  the  books  of  the  Sabeans  and  Per- 
sians, for  instance,  and  also  among  the  Neo-Platonists.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  extraordinary  form  under  which  these 
ideas  are  presented  to  us  in  the  Cabala  is  unlike  that  of 
the  Arab  mystics.  In  order  to  satisfy  ourselves  that  the 
Cabala  really  sprang  from  intercourse  with  the  latter,  we 
should  find  among  them  some  traces  of  the  doctrine  of  the 
Zephiroth.  But  not  a  vestige  of  it  is  to  be  met  with. 
They  knew  of  but  one  form  under  which  God  reveals  him- 
self to  himself.  In  this  respect  the  Cabala  is  much  more 
like  the  doctrine  of  the  Sabeans  and  Gnostics. 

"  No  trace,  either,  is  to  be  found  among  the  Arabs  of 
the  doctrine  of  metempsychosis,  which  occupies  such  a 
prominent  position  in  the  Hebrew  system.  We  also 
search  their  books  in  vain  for  the  allegories  we  are  con- 
stantly meeting  with  in  the  Zohar,  for  those  continual  ap- 
peals to  tradition,  for  those  daring  and  multitudinous  per- 
sonifications with  their  endless  genealogies,  and  for  those 
astonishing  and  extraordinary  metaphors  which  harmonize 
so  well  with  the  spirit  of  the  East." 

These  multitudinous  incarnations  and  interminable  gene- 
alogies, or,  in  other  words,  these  men  elevating  them- 
selves to  the  infinite  by  the  improvement  of  their  spiritual 
nature  ;  this  belief  in  the  doctrine  of  metempsychosis,  and 
the  tenet  relating  to  the  ten  Zephiroth,  or  the  creative 
faculty  of  the  divinity ;  such  are  the  recognized  bases  of 
the  Cabalistic  philosophy. 

We  have  seen  that  the  belief  in  the  doctrine  of  the 
Pitris  is  based  on  similar  principles.  The  ten  Zephiroth 
of  the  Hebrews  are  substantially  the  same  as  the  ten 
Pradjapatis  of  India,  to  whom  all  creatures  are  indebted 
for  their  existence. 

The  Zohar,  which  is  the  principal  work  of  the  Cabala, 
speaking  of  the  philosophical  system  therein  taught,  says 
that  it  is  precisely  the  same  as  the  wisdom  which  the  chil- 
dren of  the  East  have  known  from  the  earliest  times. 
11 


162  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

"  Evidently,"  says  Franck,  "  this  cannot  refer  to  the 
Arabs,  whom  the  Hebrew  writers  invariably  call  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel^  or  the  children  of  Arabia :  they  would 
not  speak  of  a  foreign  and  contemporaneous  philosophy  in 
such  terms — the  Zohar  would  not  date  it  back  from  the 
earliest  ages  of  the  world." 

While  the  origin  of  the  Cabala  cannot  be  successfully 
sought  for  either  in  the  different  systems  of  Greece  or  in 
the  doctrines  of  the  Alexandrian  school,  notwithstanding 
they  have  many  points  in  common,  or  in  the  mystical 
philosophy  of  the  Arabs ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
Zohar,  tracing  it  back  to  the  earliest  ages,  speaks  of  it  as 
having  the  East  for  its  cradle ;  have  we  not  good  reason, 
therefore,  in  view  of  the  antiquity  of  India  and  the  simi- 
larity in  principle  of  both  systems,  to  say  that  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Cabala  sprang  from  the  doctrine  of  the 
Pitris  ? 

We  should  not  forget  that  India,  that  immense  and 
luminous  centre  in  olden  times,  besides  spreading  its  ideas 
throughout  the  East,  by  means  of  emigration,  from  the 
earliest  times,  was  in  constant  communication  with  all  the 
people  of  Asia,  and  that  all  the  philosophers  and  sages  of 
antiquity  went  there  to  study  the  science  of  life.  It  is 
not,  therefore,  surprising  that  in  periods  of  their  captivity 
the  elders  of  the  Hebrews  should  have  been  initiated  by 
the  Persian  Magi  into  the  old  conceptions  of  the  Brah- 
mins. 

A  few  extracts  from  the  Sepher  Jeszireh  and  the  Zohar, 
the  two  highest  prized  works  of  the  Cabala,  as  to  the  na- 
ture of  God,  the  creation,  and  the  human  soul,  will  show 
conclusively  that  this  opinion  is  historically  correct. 

We  shall  be  brief,  for  while  we  cannot  resist  the  tempta- 
tion to  devote  a  few  pages  to  the  subject  of  these  compari- 
sons, we  shall  bear  in  mind  that  we  cannot  dwell  upon  it 
at  any  great  length,  except  at  the  expense  of  our  main 
subject. 


CHAPTEE  II. 

HOW  THE  SACRED  BOOKS  ARE  TO  BE  INTERPRETED  ACCORDING 
TO  THE  JEWISH  CABALISTS. 

In  order  to  show  that  these  things  are  not  to  be  taken 
in  their  literal  signification,  and  that  they  have  a  hidden 
meaning  which  is  contained  therein,  as  in  a  seed,  and  has  to 
be  extracted  from  them,  the  Zohar  repeats  the  following 
allegory : 

Picture  to  yourself  a  man  living  alone  in  the  mountain 
and  unacquainted  with  the  usages  of  the  city.  He  pro- 
duced and  lived  upon  wheat,  which  he  ate  in  its  natural 
state. 

One  day  he  went  to  the  city,  where  he  was  given  some 
bread  of  good  quality.  He  asked : 

What  is  this  good  for  ? 

He  was  answered, 

It  is  bread  to  eat. 

He  took  it  and  liked  it,  after  which  he  asked  again, 

What  is  it  made  of  ? 

The  answer  was, 

It  is  made  of  wheat. 

Some  time  afterward  he  was  given  some  cakes  mixed 
with  oil.  He  tasted  them  and  asked  : 

And  what  is  this  made  of,  pray  ? 

He  was  answered 

It  is  made  of  wheat. 

By-and-by  some  royal  pastry  mixed  with  oil  and  honey 
was  set  before  him. 

He  asked  the  same  question  as  before. 


164  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

What  is  tins  ? 

He  was  answered,  they  are  cakes  made  of  wheat. 

He  exclaimed, 

All  these  things  are  at  my  command.  I  use  them 
already  in  their  crude  state;  I  use  the  wheat  of  which 
they  are  made. 

So  thinking,  he  was  a  total  stranger  to  the  pleasures 
they  give,  which  were  all  lost  to  him.  So  it  is  with  those 
who  give  their  whole  attention  to  the  general  principles 
of  science,  and  are  ignorant  of  the  pleasures  therefrom 
resulting. 

The  Zohar  concludes  as  follows :  "  It  is  necessary  to  ex- 
tract from  the  letter  of  the  law,  the  charms  of  wisdom 
that  are  therein  hidden." 

We  find  also  the  following  aphorisms  in  the  same  book. 


Wo  to  the  man  who  does  not  look  beyond  the  letter  of 
the  law,  but  regards  it  as  simply  a  record  of  events  in  or- 

dinary language. 

* 
*       * 

The  words  of  the  law  are  the  garments,  in  which  it  is 
clothed.  Wo  to  him  who  takes  the  garment  of  the  law 
for  the  law  itself. 


There  are  some  foolish  people  who,  seeing  a  man  cov- 
ered with  a  handsome  garment,  never  look  any  further, 
but  take  this  garment  for  the  body,  while  there  is  some- 
thing which  is  more  precious,  and  that  is  the  soul. 


The  law  also  has  its  body.  There  are  commandments 
which  may  be  called  the  body  of  the  law ;  the  texts  that  are 
mingled  with  them  are  merely  the  garments  by  which 
they  are  covered. 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  165 

Ordinary  people  pay  heed  to  nothing  but  the  garments, 
or  to  the  texts  of  the  law.  That  is  all  they  know.  They 
see  nothing  that  is  hidden  beneath  this  garment.  Those 
who  are  wiser  pay  no  heed  to  the  garment,  but  to  the 
body  by  which  it  is  enveloped. 


The  servants  of  the  Supreme  King,  those  who  live  upon 
the  heights  of  Sinai,  heed  nothing  but  the  soul,  which  is 
the  basis  of  everything  else,  which  is  the  law  itself,  and, 
in  future  times,  they  will  be  prepared  to  contemplate  the 
soul  of  that  soul  which  is  manifested  through  the  law. 

By  treating  the  sacred  books  in  this  allegorical  way,  the 
Cabalists,  without  doing  violence  to  the  Bible  or  tradition, 
made  the  conceptions  which  were  the  subject  of  initiation 
in  ancient  times  in  the  East,  a  part  of  their  religious  law. 

These  last  verses  seem  like  a  commentary  upon  the 
same  subject  as  that  which  we  have  been  considering, 
taken  from  the  Book  of  the  Pitris. 

We  merely  call  attention  to  the  similarity  between  the 
two  methods  of  interpretation,  adopted  by  the  adherents  of 
either  doctrine,  without  dwelling  upon  it  any  further. 

We  are  reminded  of  what  was  said  in  the  Agrouchada- 
Parikchai : 

"  As  the  soul  is  contained  in  the  body  ; 

"  As  the  almond  is  concealed  by  its  envelope ; 

"  As  the  sun  is  veiled  by  the  clouds  ; 

"  As  the  garments  hide  the  body  from  sight ; 

"  As  the  egg  is  included  in  its  shell ; 

"  And  as  the  germ  rests  inside  of  the  seed  ; 

"  So  the  sacred  law  has  its  body,  its  envelope,  its  clouds, 
its  garments,  its  shell,  which  hide  it  from  the  knowledge 
of  the  multitude." 

This  opinion,  that  the  words  of  the  law  were  nothing 
but  garments  intended  to  conceal  from  the  common  people 


166  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

ths  truths  therein  contained,  led  the  Cabalists  to  construct 
what  they  called  a  Cabalistic  alphabet,  by  whose  aid  they 
even  prevented  the  material  act  of  reading  their  mysteries. 

According  to  Reuchlin,  "  De  Arte  Cabalistic.,"  and  Wolf, 
"  Bibligr.  Hebr.,"  the  method  employed  in  that  occult  al- 
phabet in  order  to  make  it  necessary  that  the  mere  act  of 
reading  should  be  the  subject  of  a  special  initiation,  was 
tri-fold. 

The  first  consisted  of  the  substitution  of  one  word  for 
another,  to  which  it  was  equivalent. 

According  to  the  second,  the  final  letter  of  each  word 
became  the  initial  of  another  word. 

The  third  changed  the  value  of  the  letters  by  putting, 
for  instance,  the  first  in  place  of  the  last,  and  vice-versa. 

"We  have  seen  that  those  who  believed  in  the  Indian 
doctrine  of  the  Pitris  also  indulged  in  these  puerile  prac- 
tices. 


CHAPTEE  III. 

IOTTIATION   AMONG   THE   CABALISTS. 

"We  have  seen  that  the  mysteries  taught  in  the  Indian 
pagoda  comprised  three  degrees  of  initiation,  in  each  of 
which  a  probation  of  twenty  years  was  required  before 
being  promoted  to  a  higher  grade. 

The  writers  on  the  Cabala  have  not  given  us  all  the 
secrets  of  their  interior  discipline,  but  there  is  no  doubt 
that  the  Hebraic  initiation  also  included  several  categories. 

It  is  well  known,  according  to  the  Talmud,  that  the  an- 
cient Hebrews  had  three  names  to  express  the  idea  of  God. 

The  first,  which  was  composed  of  four  letters,  was 
taught  to  all  who  came  for  instruction  to  the  temple. 

With  regard  to  the  second  and  third,  which  consisted  of 
twelve  and  forty-two  letters  respectively,  the  following  are 
the  words  of  Maimonides : 

"  Sages  taught  the  name  of  twelve  letters  to  their  sons 
and  disciples ;  but  when  the  number  of  the  ungodly  had 
increased,  it  was  intrusted  only  to  the  most  discreet  among 
the  priests,  and  they  repeated  it  in  a  low  tone  to  their 
brethren,  while  the  people  were  receiving  the  benediction." 

The  name  of  forty-two  letters  was  the  most  sacred  of 
all  mysteries.  It  contained  the  great  secret  of  the  uni- 
versal soul,  and  stood  for,  if  we  may  so  express  it,  the 
highest  degree  of  initiation. 

"  It  was  only  taught,"  says  the  author  whom  we  have 
just  quoted,  "  to  a  man  of  recognized  discretion,  of  mature 
age,  not  addicted  to  anger  or  intemperance,  a  stranger  to 


168  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

vanity,  and  gentle  and  pleasant  with  all  with  whom  he  was 
brought  into  contact." 

"Whoever,"  says  the  Talmud,  "has  been  made  ac- 
quainted with  this  secret  and  vigilantly  keeps  it  in  a  pure 
heart,  may  reckon  upon  the  love  of  God  and  the  favor  of 
men ;  his  name  inspires  respect ;  his  knowledge  is  in  no 
danger  of  being  forgotten,  and  he  is  the  heir  of  two 
worlds,  that  in  which  we  live,  and  the  world  to  come." 

These  three  classes  of  persons,  viz. : 

First,  the  disciples,  who  were  taught  the  name  consist- 
ing of  four  letters : 

Second,  the  priests,  who  studied  that  of  twelve  letters ; 
and 

Third,  the  elders,  to  whom  alone  the  secret  of  the  forty- 
two  letters  was  revealed, 

• — seem  to  us  to  correspond  very  closely  to  the  three  grades 
of  initiation  in  India. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark,  according  to  the  last  quotation 
from  the  Talmud,  that  the  elders  who  are  in  possession  of 
this  most  sacred  mystery,  are  invested  with  supreme  power, 
not  only  in  the  present  world  but  in  the  world  of  invisible 
spirits. 

In  the  Zohar,  in  the  Sepher  Jeszirah,  in  the  Guemara, 
and  in  the  Mischna  we  are  constantly  meeting  with  the 
prohibition  to  divulge  the  secrets  of  the  Mercaba,  or  crea- 
tion, to  anybody  except, 

"  Men  who  are  invested  with  the  highest  dignity  and 
who  are  known  for  their  extreme  prudence." 

"Whose  heart,"  according  to  the  original  expression, 
"is  filled  with  anxiety  and  alarm." 

From  a  text  which  we  quoted  in  the  first  chapter  of  the 
first  part  of  this  work,  it  appears  that  a  distinguished  po- 
sition, with  respect  to  intellect  and  accomplishments,  was 
not  all  that  was  required  from  him  who  aspired  to  a 
knowledge  of  these  mysteries,  but  that  he  must  also  have 
arrived  at  a  certain  age. 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  169 

The  Rabbi  Jochanan  one  day  said  to  the  Rabbi  Eleazar : 
"Let  me  teach  you  the  history  of  the  Mercaba."  The 
latter  answered,  "  I  am  not  old  enough  for  that."  "When 
he  had  grown  old  enough,  the  Rabbi  Jochanan  was  dead. 
Some  time  afterward,  the  Rabbi  Assi  said  to  him  in  his 
turn,  "  Let  me  teach  you  the  history  of  the  Mercaba." 
He  replied :  "If  I  had  deemed  myself  worthy,  I  should 
have  learnt  it  before,  from  the  Rabbi  Jochanan,  your 
master." 

Though  we  may  not  be  able  to  point  out  the  special 
practices  observed  by  those  who  had  been  initiated  into 
the  mysteries  of  the  Jewish  Cabala,  as  they  were  promoted 
from  one  degree  to  a  higher,  owing  to  the  silence  of  their 
traditions  and  written  works  upon  that  subject,  still,  we 
have  reason  to  think,  at  any  rate,  that  as  in  India  there 
were  three  degrees  of  initiation. 


CHAPTER  IY. 

THE   DIVINE   ESSENCE,    ACCORDING   TO    THE    CABALISTS. 

Rabbi  Simon,  having  assembled  his  disciples,  seated 
himself  beneath  the  shade  of  a  sacred  forest,  and  informed 
them  that,  before  dying,  he  would  reveal  to  them  the  great 
secret  of  the  principle  of  principles. 

"A  voice  was  then  heard  and  their  knees  shook  to- 
gether for  fright.  What  was  that  voice?  It  was  the 
voice  of  the  celestial  assembly  (including  all  the  superior 
spirits)  which  had  assembled  to  listen.  Rabbi  Simon  joy- 
fully spoke  as  follows  :  O  Lord !  I  will  not  say,  like  one 
of  thy  prophets,  that  upon  hearing  thy  voice  I  was  afraid, 
for  this  is  not  the  time  to  be  afraid,  but  it  is  the  time  for 
love,  as  it  is  written  :  Thou  shalt  love  the  eternal,  thy  God.'' 

The  Zohar  then  puts  into  his  mouth  the  following  de- 
scription of  the  Supreme  Being : 

"  He  is  the  Ancient  of  ancients,  the  mystery  of  mys- 
teries, the  unknown  of  those  who  are  unknown.  He 
has  a  form  that  appertains  to  him,  inasmuch  as  he  ap- 
pears to  us  as  a  man  far  advanced  in  life,  as  the  Ancient  of 
ancients,  as  whatever  is  most  unknown  among  those  who 
are  unknown,  but  under  this  form  beneath  which  he 
manifests  himself  to  us,  he  still  remains  unknown,  his 
garment  seems  white,  and  his  aspect  is  that  of  one  whose 
face  is  exposed ;  he  is  seated  upon  a  throne  of  thunder- 
bolts, which  he  uses  at  pleasure.  The  white  light  of  his 
head  lights  up  four  hundred  thousand  worlds.  Four  hun- 
dred thousand  worlds,  springing  from  this  white  light,  are 
the  inheritance  of  the  just  in  the  world  to  come.  Every 
day  witnesses  the  birth  of  thirteen  thousand  myriads  of 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  171 

worlds  which  receive  their  subsistence  from  him,  and  the 
burthen  of  which  is  entirely  supported  by  him.  A  re- 
freshing dew  drops  from  his  head,  which  awakes  the  dead 
and  infuses  into  them  a  new  life,  wherefore  it  is  written ; 
Thy  dew  is  a  dew  of  light ;  it  is  the  food  of  the  highest 
order  of  spirits ;  it  is  the  manna  which  is  prepared  for  the 
just  in  the  life  to  come.  It  drops  upon  the  field  of  sacred 
fruit.  In  appearance  this  dew  seems  white  like  diamonds, 
whose  color  contains  all  colors.  The  length  of  his  face, 
from  the  summit  of  his  head  is  three  hundred  and  seventy 
times  ten  thousand  worlds.  He  is  called  the  long-face, 
for  such  is  the  name  of  the  Ancient  of  ancients." 

"  Before  he  created  any  form  in  this  world,  before  he 
produced  any  image,  he  was  alone,  without  form,  resemb- 
ling nothing.  Who  can  conceive  of  him  as  he  was  then, 
previous  to  creation,  inasmuch  as  he  had  no  form  ?  There- 
fore it  is  not  lawful  to  represent  him  by  means  of  any 
image  or  under  any  form  whatever,  even  by  his  holy 
name,  even  by  a  letter  or  a  point.  Such  is  the  meaning 
of  the  words.  You  saw  no  figure  on  the  day  when  the 
Eternal  spoke  to  us." 

"  Woe  to  him  who  ventures  to  compare  him  even  to  one 
of  his  own  attributes ;  much  less  still  should  he  be  com- 
pared to  man  who  springs  from  the  earth,  and  whose 
destiny  is  death.  He  should  be  conceived  of  as  above  all 
creatures  and  all  attributes." 

"  Learn,  however,  that  no  one  is  intelligent  or  wise,  ex- 
cept of  his  own  substance,  for  wisdom  does  not  deserve 
the  name  by  itself,  but  on  account  of  him  who  is  wise,  and 
who  produces  it  from  the  light  emanating  from  himself. 
Moreover,  no  one  can  conceive  of  intelligence  as  existing 
by  itself  alone,  but  through  him  who  is  an  intelligent  being 
and  who  fills  it  with  his  own  substance."  (Extract  from 
the  Zohar,  a  Cabalistic  work.) 

"  The  Ancient  of  ancients  is,  at  the  same  time,  the  most 
unknown  of  unknown  beings.  He  is  distinct  from  every- 


172  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

thing,  and  yet  he  is  not  separated  from  anything ;  for 
everything  is  united  to  him  as  he  is  united  to  everything ; 
there  is  nothing  that  is  not  in  him.  He  has  a  form  and 
we  may  say  that  he  has  none.  Upon  assuming  a  form  he 
gave  existence  to  everything  that  is.  In  the  first  place,  he 
projected  from  his  own  bosom  ten  luminaries — or  the  ten 
Zephiroth — which  shine  by  the  form  they  borrowed  from 
him,  and  diffuse  on  all  sides  a  most  brilliant  light.  In  the 
same  manner  as  a  beacon  spreads  rays  of  lights  every- 
where around  it,  the  Ancient  of  ancients,  the  unknown  of 
all  unknown  beings,  is  an  elevated  beacon,  which  we  know 
merely  by  the  light,  which  shines  in  our  eyes  with  such 
brilliancy  and  fulness.  What  we  call  his  holy  name  is  only 
this  light."  (Extract  from  the  Idra-Souata,  a  Cabalistic 
work.) 

"  The  Ancient  of  ancients,  whose  name  be  sanctified,  is 
the  only  form  that  embraces  all  other  forms.  It  is  su- 
preme and  mysterious  wisdom,  that  includes  everything." 
(Extract  from  the  Zohar.) 

These  extracts  contain  almost  everything  that  has  been 
written  by  the  Cabalists  with  regard  to  the  divine  nature, 
and  we  may  say,  indeed,  that  their  whole  system  of  philo- 
sophical belief  is  contained  in  its  turn,  in  the  following 
sayings,  taken  from  the  Book  of  the  Pitris : 

He  is  all  and  in  all 

And  everything  is  in  him  ! 

He  is  the  cause  of  everything  and  every  effect  is  in  him. 

The  same  pantheism,  in  an  infinite  unity,  was  taught  in 
the  works  of  the  Cabala  as  by  those  who  had  been  ini- 
tiated in  the  Indian  temples.  The  Ancient  of  Ancients 
in  the  Zohar  is  precisely  the  same  as  the  Ancient  of  Days 
in  Manu,  the  Yedas,  and  the  Agrouchada-Parikchai.  We 
find  the  same  fundamental  ideas  at  the  basis  of  both  phi- 
losophies, expressed  in  almost  identical  terms. 

We  shall  now  show  how  this  most  unknown  of  unknown 
beings  revealed  himself  in  creation. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  TEN  ZEPHIROTH. 

The  ten  Zephiroth  represent  the  ten  essential  qualities, 
by  means  whereof  the  deity  is  manifested  in  creation. 

These  ten  attributes,  representing  goodness,  glory,  wis- 
dom, power,  grace,  justice,  intelligence,  sovereignty,  etc., 
are  completely  identified  with  the  divine  substance,  but  as 
God  is  immutable  and  is  not  susceptible  of  change,  the 
Cabalists  always  regard  him  as  in  action,  and  the  ten  Zep- 
hiroth as  instruments  of  the  Supreme  Power,  as  creatures 
of  a  superior  nature,  as  types  of  all  beings. 

This  is  the  way  in  which  God  reveals  himself,  and 
passes  from  evocation  into  action. 

"We  will  now  yield  the  floor  to  the  illustrious  Hebraist 
whom  we  have  adopted  as  our  guide,  and  who  can  furnish 
a  more  correct  description  of  this  conception  than  we  are 
able  to  give  ourselves. 

"  God,"  says  Franck,  is  "  present  in  the  Ten  Zephiroth  ; 
otherwise  he  could  not  reveal  himself  through  them ;  but 
he  does  not  abide  wholly  in  them ;  he  is  not  solely  what 
we  are  able  to  find  out  about  him,  through  these  sublime 
forms  of  thought  and  life.  In  point  of  fact,  the  Zephiroth 
can  never  comprehend  the  infinite.  The  En- Soph,  which 
is  the  very  source  of  all  these  forms,  and  which,  in  that 
capacity,  has  no  form,  or  rather,  to  speak  more  correctly, 
while  each  Zephiroth  has  a  well-known  name,  he  alone  has 
none  and  can  have  none." 

God  then  remains  the  ever  ineffable,  incomprehensible, 
and  infinite  being,  whose  place  is  above  that  of  all  the 


174  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

-worlds  which  reveal  his  presence  to  us,  even  the  world  of 
•emanation. 

Such  is,  likewise,  the  particular  nature  of  each  of  the 
ten  Pradjapatis  of  India,  and  the  character  of  their  rela- 
tions toward  Swayambhouva,  the  unrevealed  being. 

The  analogy  between  them  is  so  close  and  striking  that 
any  comments  we  might  make  would  only  weaken  the 
force  of  their  resemblance. 

According  both  to  the  Cabalists  and  the  believers  in  the 
Pitris,  the  Zephiroth  and  the  ten  Pradjapatis,  who  are  the 
lords  of  creatures,  are  the  attributes  of  divinity,  as  em- 
bodied in  the  Ten  Superior  Spirits,  who  manifest  themselves 
in  creation,  and  in  this  manner,  the  doctrine  of  the  immuta- 
bility of  the  Deity,  who  was  only  able  to  reveal  himself 
in  action,  was  not  infringed  upon  in  the  slightest  degree. 

The  close  similarity  between  these  beliefs,  in  India  and 
Judea,  is  the  more  worthy  of  remark,  inasmuch  as  we 
meet  them  in  no  other  philosophical  system  at  that  period, 
and  it  incontestably  indicates  how  closely  the  Hindu  and 
Jewish  systems  are  related  to  each  other.  This  system 
was  not  fully  set  forth  in  the  Cabala  much  more  than  a 
century  previous  to  our  era,  while  Mann,  the  Yedas,  and 
the  Agrouchada-Parikchai  had  already  been  in  existence 
for  several  thousand  years. 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  remark  also  that  these  Ten  Su- 
perior Spirits,  like  the  Indian  Pradjapatis,  are  at  the  head 
of  the  immense  hierarchy  of  spirits,  both  inspiring  as  well  as 
mediating,  who  preside  over  the  continual  transformations 
of  the  vital  molecule,  and  under  whose  guidance  the  hu- 
man soul  advances  from  one  degree  of  perfection  to  an- 
other until  it  reaches  the  universal  soul. 

The  Sepher  Jeszirah  speaks  in  the  following  enigmatical 
manner  of  these  superior  manifestations. 

"  There  are  ten  Zephiroth,  ten  and  not  nine,  ten  and 
not  eleven.  Act  so  that  you  may  intelligently  understand 
them  in  your  wisdom,  so  that  your  mind,  your  speculations, 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  175 

jour  knowledge,  and  your  thoughts  may  be  constantly  en- 
gaged in  their  investigation.  Let  every  thing  rest  upon 
its  foundation  and  reinstate  the  Creator  upon  his  basis. 

"  As  for  the  Ten  Zephiroth,  there  is  no  end,  neither  in 
the  future  nor  in  the  past,  nor  in  good  nor  evil,  nor  in 
height  nor  depth,  nor  in  the  east  nor  the  west,  nor  in  the 
south,  nor  in  the  north. 

"  The  Ten  Zephiroth  are  like  the  five  fingers  of  each 
hand  to  the  number  of  ten,  five  on  either  hand,  but  be- 
tween them  is  the  tie  of  unity. 

"  The  end  of  the  Zephiroth  is  united  to  the  beginning^ 
as  the  flame  is  united  to  the  firebrand,  for  the  Lord  is  one, 
and  there  is  not  a  second. 

"  Close  your  mouth  that  you  may  not  speak  of  it,  and 
your  heart  that  you  may  not  think  of  it,  and  if  your  heart 
forgets  itself,  bring  it  to  its  place  again,  for  it  is  for  this 
reason  that  they  have  been  united  together.''  (Extract 
from  the  Sepher  Jeszireh.) 

Was  not  the  meaning  of  the  Agronchada-Parikchai 
precisely  identical,  when  it  said,  centuries  before  the 
Cabala  was  in  existence : 

"  As  for  the  Ten  Fradjapatis,  who  are  the  lords  of  all 
created  beings,  and  who  are  Maritchi,  Atri,  Angiras,  Pou- 
lastya,  Poulaha,  Cratou,  Pratchetas,  Yasichta,  Brighou, 
Karada,  there  is  no  commencement  or  end,  neither  in 
time  nor  space,  for  they  are  the  product  of  the  only  essence 
of  one  spirit  at  a  single  breath. 

"  This  is  a  fatal  secret ;  close  thy  mouth  that  no  part  of 
it  may  be  revealed  to  the  vulgar  herd  ;  compress  thy  brain 
in  order  that  no  part  of  it  may  be  spread  abroad." 

We  will  say  in  conclusion  that  the  whole  doctrine  of  the 
Pitris  consists  in  a  knowledge  of  that  vast  spiritual  hie- 
rarchy at  the  head  of  which  stand  the  Pradjapatis. 

In  like  manner,  the  whole  of  the  Jewish  Cabala  may  be 
summed  up  as  consisting  in  the  mystic  knowledge  of  the 
Zephiroth. 


CHAPTER  YL 

THE   CABALISTIC   TRINITY. 

"Having  divided  his  body  into  two  parts,  the  sovereign 
ruler  became  half  male  and  half  female,  and  uniting  with 
the  female  portion,  begot  Yiradj  the  son."  (Manu,  sloca 
34,  book  i.) 

"  I,  Yiradj,  desiring  to  give  birth  to  the  human  race, 
first  produced  the  Ten  Pradjapatis,  who  are  the  Lords  of 
all  created  beings,  after  having  practised  the  greatest 
austerities."  (Manu,  sloca  34,  book  i.) 

In  such  terms  as  these,  the  venerable  legislator  of  the 
Hindus  first  spake  of  the  primitive  triad,  from  which 
sprang  the  ten  superior  spirits,  who  first  manifested  them- 
selves in  creation. 

We  have  already  seen  in  what  affecting  language  the 
Book  of  the  Pitris  speaks  of  the  love  of  the  husband  for  his 
spouse,  and  how  the  universe  sprang  from  that  celestial 
union.  In  all  the  pagodas  of  India,  that  symbolical  trinity 
is  represented  by  three  heads,  carved  from  a  single  block 
of  granite  or  marble,  in  the  form  of  a  single  head. 

It  is  extraordinary  to  see  how  closely  this  idea,  which 
sprang  up  on  the  banks  of  the  Ganges,  was  copied  in  the 
teachings  of  the  Jewish  Cabalists. 

"We  are  free  to  confess  that  what  we  have  said  about 
the  Cabala  is  not  derived  from  our  own  knowledge  upon 
that  subject.  All  our  information  about  the  Hebrews  is 
taken  from  Mr.  Franck  of  the  Institute,  and  the  reader 
will  understand  that  thereon  rests  the  whole  weight  of 
our  argument. 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  177 

After  this  digression,  we  will  now  go  on  with  our  proofs. 
They  seem  like  demonstrations  in  mathematics.  We  pro- 
posed to  show  that  the  Hebraic  Cabala  sprang  originally 
from  the  Hindu  temples.  The  best  means  at  our  com- 
mand, in  order  to  elucidate  this  problem,  which  is  also 
interesting  from  an  ethnographic  point  of  view,  is  simply 
to  confront  the  doctrine  of  the  Pitris,  as  we  have  unfolded 
it,  and  the  Hindu  text,  as  we  have  given  it,  with  the 
Hebraic  texts  themselves.  We  have  also  given  the  views 
of  an  eminent  author,  who  certainly  was  not  thinking  of 
India  when  he  was  explaining  the  mysteries  of  the  Zohar 
and  the  Sepher  Jeszireh,  and  who  too  was  wondering  what 
could  have  been  the  birthplace  of  these  extraordinary 
doctrines,  which,  in  spite  of  certain  points  of  similarity, 
never  grew  out  of  the  Grecian  or  Arabic  philosophies. 

The  following  are  the  exact  words  of  the  Zohar,  as 
given  by  the  author  in  question,  accompanied  by  his 
comments  thereon.  They  lead  from  unity  to  the  dyad, 
and  from  the  dyad  to  the  triad,  by  the  same  path  which 
the  thinkers  in  the  Hindu  pagodas  had  previously  ex- 
plored : 

"  In  the  beginning,  was  the  Ancient.  Seen  face  to  face, 
he  is  the  supreme  head,  the  source  of  all  light,  the 
principle  of  all  wisdom.  The  only  definition  that  can  be 
applied  to  him  is,  unity." 

From  the  bosom  of  this  absolute  unity,  of  which,  how- 
ever, variety  is  a  distinguishing  feature,  and  from  all 
relative  unity,  issue  two  principles  in  parallel  lines,  which 
are  apparently  opposed  to  each  other,  but  in  reality  are 
not  incompatible.  The  male,  or  active  principle  is  called 
wisdom  ;  the  female,  or  passive  principle  is  designated  by 
a  word  that  is  commonly  translated  as  intelligence. 

"  Everything  that  exists,"  says  the  Zohar,  "  everything 
that  has  been  formed  by  the  Ancient,  whose  name  be  sanc- 
tified, can  only  subsist  through  a  male  and  &  female." 

From  their  eternal  and  mysterious  union  springs  a  son, 
12 


178  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

who,  according  to  the  original  expression,  takes  after  his 
father  and  mother  together,  and  bears  witness  to  both  of  them. 

This  son  of  wisdom  and  intelligence,  called,  on  account 
of  his  double  inheritance,  the  elder  son  of  God,  is  knowl- 
edge, or  science.  These  three  persons  contain  and  include 
everything  that  is,  but  they  are  united,  in  their  turn,  in 
the  White  Head,  in  the  Ancient  of  ancients,  for  all  is  he 
and  he  is  all. 

Sometimes  he  is  represented  with  three  heads  forming 
a  single  one.  Sometimes  he  is  compared  to  the  brain, 
which,  without  losing  its  unity,  is  divided  into  three  parts, 
and  by  means  of  thirty-two  pairs  of  nerves  is  in  communi- 
cation with  every  part  of  the  body,  as,  by  the  aid  of  the 
thirty -two  methods  of  wisdom,  the  divinity  is  diffused 
throughout  the  universe. 

"  The  Ancient,"  says  the  Zohar,  "  whose  name  be  sanc- 
tified, exists  with  three  heads  forming  a  single  one,  and 
this  head  is  the  most  elevated  of  all  elevated  things, 
and  because  the  Ancient  is  represented  by  the  number 
three,  all  the  other  lights,  or,  in  other  words,  the  ten 
Zephiroth,  are  also  comprised  within  the  number  three." 

In  another  part  of  the  same  work  we  read  : 

"  There  are  three  heads  carved  one  within  the  other, 
and  one  above  the  other.  In  this  number  we  reckon  first 
hidden  wisdom,  which  is  never  without  a  veil.  This  mys- 
terious wisdom  is  the  supreme  principle  of  all  other  wis- 
dom. Above  this  first  head  is  the  Ancient ;  whatever  is 
most  mysterious  among  mysteries.  Finally  comes  the  head 
which  towers  above  all  others,  and  which  is  no  head. 
What  it  contains  no  one  knows,  or  can  know,  for  it  equally 
escapes  our  knowledge  and  our  ignorance.  That  is  the 
reason  why  the  Ancient  is  called  the  non-being." 

Sometimes  the  terms  or,  if  it  is  preferred,  the  persons 
of  this  trinity  are  represented  as  three  successive  and  ab- 
solutely necessary  phases  of  existence,  as  well  as  of  thought, 
as  a  deduction  or  evolution  which,  at  the  same  time,  con- 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  179 

stitutes  the  generation  of  the  world.  However  surprising 
it  may  seem,  there  can  be  no  doubt  about  it,  when  we 
read  the  following  lines  taken  from  the  Zohar : 

"  Come  and  see  ;  thought  is  the  principle  of  everything ; 
but  it  is  at  first  ignorant  and  self-contained.  When  thought 
succeeds  in  diffusing  itself  abroad  it  has  reached  that 
stage  when  it  becomes  spirit.  When  it  has  arrived  at 
that  point  it  is  called  intelligence,  and  is  no  longer  con- 
tained within  itself  as  before.  The  spirit  develops  itself, 
in  its  turn,  among  the  mysteries  by  which  it  is  surrounded, 
and  a  voice  comes  from  it,  which  is  like  a  reunion  of  the 
celestial  choirs,  a  voice  which  is  distinctly  heard  in  articu- 
late words,  for  it  comes  from  the  spirit,  but  when  we 
think  of  all  these  degrees,  we  see  that  thought  and  intelli- 
gence, this  voice  and  this  language,  are  one  and  the  same 
thing ;  that  thought  is  the  principle  of  everything  that  is, 
and  that  no  interruption  can  exist  therein.  Thought  itself 
is  united  to  the  non-being,  and  is  never  separated  from  it. 
Such  is  the  meaning  of  the  words ;  Jehovah  is  one  and 
his  name  is  one. 

"  The  name,  which  signifies  I  am,  indicates  to  us  the 
union  of  everything  that  is,  the  degree  where  all  the 
methods  of  wisdom  are  still  hidden,  and  placed  together, 
without  our  being  able  to  distinguish  one  from  the  other, 
but  when  a  line  of  demarkation  is  once  established,  when  it 
is  desired  to  distinguish  the  mother,  carrying  all  things  in 
her  womb,  and  upon  the  point  of  giving  birth  to  them,  in 
order  to  reveal  the  supreme  name  ;  then  God  says,  speak- 
ing of  himself :  I  who  am.  Finally,  when  all  is  carefully 
formed  and  has  issued  from  the  maternal  womb,  when 
everything  is  in  its  place,  and  it  is  proposed  both  to  desig- 
nate the  individual  and  existence,  God  calls  himself  Jeho- 
vah, or  I  am  that  which  is." 

We  will  conclude  the  present  sketch  by  presenting  a 
most  extraordinary  resemblance  between  the  doctrine  of 
the  Pitris  and  that  of  the  Jewish  Cabalists. 


180  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

In  the  Hindu  system,  as  we  have  seen,  there  were  three 
trinities  which  proceeded  successively  from  Swayambhouva, 
the  self-existent  being,  and  were  mingled  in  him  in  a  su- 
preme union.  They  are  : 

First,  the  initial  trinity,  which  gave  birth  to  the  divine 
thought  : 

Nara,  the  producer, 
Kari,  the  mother, 
Yiradj,  the  son. 

Second,  the  trinity,  as  manifested,  from  which  spring  the 
primitive  elements,  which  aid  in  the  formation  of  the 
universe. 

Agni, 


Sourya. 

Third,  the  creating  trinity  : 
Brahma, 
Yishnou, 
Siva. 

Franck  informs  us,  upon  the  authority  of  the  Zohar, 
that  a  precisely  similar  doctrine  was  held  by  the  Cabalists. 
He  says  : 

"The  ten  Zephiroth  were  divided  into  three  classes. 
Each  presents  the  divinity  to  us  under  a  different  aspect, 
but  always  under  the  aspect  of  an  invisible  trinity. 

"  The  first  three  Zephiroth  are  purely  intellectual.  As 
a  matter  of  metaphysics,  they  express  the  absolute  identity 
of  thought  and  existence,  and  form  what  modern  Cabalists 
call  the  intelligible  world.  It  is  the  first  manifestation  of 
the  Deity. 

"  The  three  that  succeed  them  have  a  moral  character  : 
on  the  one  hand,  they  make  us  conceive  of  God  as  iden- 
tical with  goodness  and  wisdom  ;  on  the  other  hand,  they 
exhibit  the  Supreme  Being  as  the  origin  of  beauty  and 
magnificence  in  creation.  For  this  reason,  they  have 
been  called  the  virtues,  or  the  sensible  world. 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  181 

"  Finally,  we  learn  ty  the  last  three  Z&phiroth  that  the 
universal  providence,  or  the  Supreme  Artist,  is  also  abso- 
lute force  or  all-powerful  cause,  and  that  this  cause  is,  at 
the  same  time,  the  generating  element  of  everything  that  is. 
It  is  the  last  Zephiroth  that  constitutes  the  natural  world 
or  nature,  in  its  essence  and  active  principle,  natura 
naturans" 

Upon  prosecuting  our  inquiries  as  to  the  original  source 
of  the  philosophical  ideas  of  mankind,  it  is  highly  sug- 
gestive, to  say  the  least  of  it,  that  the  Brahminical  and 
Cabalistic  notion  of  the  three  trinities  was  almost  iden- 
tically the  same. 

First,  there  was  an  unrevealed  God,  the  primordial  and 
universal  germ,  the  Ancient  of  Days,  as  he  was  called  by 
the  Hindus,  the  Ancient  of  Ancients,  according  to  the 
Cabalistic  philosophy. 

Second,  there  was  then  a  first  trinity,  begotten  of 
thought  and  will. 

Third,  there  was  in  either  case  a  second  trinity,  which 
was  the  origin  of  the  elements,  of  the  virtues,  and  of  the 
forces  of  the  sensible  world. 

Fourth,  according  to  the  Hindus,  a  third  trinity  had 
charge  of  the  work  of  creation ;  according  to  the  Ca- 
balists,  it  represents  the  generative  element  of  everything 
that  is. 

Finally,  in  both  doctrines,  the  active  generative  element, 
by  perpetual  union  with  the  passive  or  mother  element, 
was  continually  shooting  into  space  the  rays  of  life,  from 
which  souls  escape  and  accomplish  their  progressive  des- 
tinies in  the  universe,  and  gradually  ascend  and  are  ab- 
sorbed in  the  immortal  source  from  which  they  originally 
spring,  or,  in  other  words,  in  unity. 

In  order  to  give  a  clearer  idea  of  this  notion  of  the 
Great  All,  with  its  two-fold  nature,  continually  begetting 
everything  that  exists,  and  of  the  universe  which  is  the 
product,  or  offspring,  perpetually  ascending  to  unity,  like 


182  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

the  links  of  an  endless  chain,  or  a  self-feeding  flame, 
the  Zohar  makes  use  of  the  following  comparison  : 

"  In  order  to  master  the  science  of  the  sacred  unity,  look 
at  the  flame  which  rises  from  a  brightly  burning  fire,  or 
from  a  lighted  lamp  ;  first  we  see  two  lights,  the  one  brill- 
iantly white,  the  other  black  or  blue.  The  white  light  is 
above  the  other,  and  rises  in  a  straight  line.  The  black 
light  is  underneath  and  seems  to  be  the  source  of  the 
former.  They  are,  however,  so  closely  united  to  each  other 
that  they  form  but  one  flame,  but  the  foundation,  formed 
by  the  blue  or  black  light,  in  its  turn,  is  connected  with 
the  burning  matter  which  is  still  farther  beneath.  It 
should  be  known  that  the  white  light  never  changes ;  it 
always  preserves  its  peculiar  color,  but  several  shades  are 
distinguished  in  that  which  is  beneath.  The  latter  besides 
tends  in  two  opposite  directions.  On  top  it  is  connected 
with  the  white  light  and  below  with  the  burning  flame, 
but  this  matter  is  being  continually  absorbed  in  its  bosom, 
and  is  continually  ascending  toward  the  superior  light.  In 
this  manner  everything  returns  to  unity." 

In  view  of  the  extraordinary  similarity  which  we  have 
shown  to  exist  between  the  doctrines  held  by  the  Hindus 
and  those  of  the  Jewish  Cabalists,  what  becomes  of  the 
claims  of  those  Semitists  who,  in  imitation  of  Eenan, 
adopt  every  method  to  disseminate  their  peculiar  views, 
independently  of  the  fact  that  identically  the  same  opin- 
ions were  held  by  other  people  in  Asia  and  the  East. 


CHAPTER  YII. 

THE   BELIEF   IN    MEDIATING   AND   INSPIRING    SPIRITS   ACCORD* 
ING   TO   THE   JEWISH   CABALISTS. 

"  The  inferior  world  has  been  created  in  the  similitude 
of  the  superior.  Everything  that  exists  in  the  superior 
world  appears  here  below  like  the  reflection  of  an  image, 
and  yet  it  is  all  only  one  thing."  (The  Zohar.) 

"  It  is  needful  for  you  to  know  that  there  is  the  same 
relation  between  the  shadow  and  the  body,  as  between  the 
corporeal  and  spiritual  worlds."  (Al  Gazali,  a  Cabalistic 
writer.) 

The  extraordinary  similarity  existing  between  the  doc- 
trines taught  in  the  Indian  pagodas  and  those  of  the 
Jewish  Cabal ists,  was  not,  however,  confined  to  their 
metaphysical  conceptions.  The  Cabalists,  as  we  shall  show, 
also  believed  in  mediating  and  inspiring  spirits,  and  their 
belief  was  nothing  but  the  logical  consequence  of  the 
principles  they  held.  The  whole  of  creation,  the  entire 
universe,  being  merely  a  radiation  from  the  divine  nature, 
infinite  space  is  peopled  with  spirits  which  have  dropped, 
on  the  one  hand,  from  the  great  all  in  the  condition  of 
sparks,  or  atoms,  endowed  with  life,  and  who,  on  the 
other  hand,  are  returning  to  it  through  a  constant  series 
of  progressive  transformations. 

This  condition  of  affairs  is  clearly  unfolded  in  the  Zohar, 
in  the  form  of  the  following  allegory : 

"  Spirits  or  the  souls  of  the  just,"  says  that  celebrated 
work,  "  are  above  all  powers.  If  you  ask  why  from  a 
place  so  exalted  they  descend  to  the  earth,  so  far  away 


184  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

from  their  source,  this  is  my  answer :  Their  case  is  like 
that  of  a  king,  to  whom  a  son  was  born,  and  who  took  him 
into  the  country,  to  be  there  reared  and  educated  until  he 
had  grown  older,  and  had  been  instructed  in  the  customs 
of  his  father's  palace.  When  the  king  was  informed  that 
his  son's  education  was  finished,  what  does  his  love  for 
him  prompt  him  to  do  ?  He  sends  for  the  queen,  his 
mother,  to  celebrate  his  return.  He  brings  him  back  to 
the  palace,  where  the  whole  day  is  spent  in  rejoicing. 
The  saint  also  had  a  son  by  the  queen,  blessed  be  his 
name.  This  son  is  the  superior  and  sacred  soul.  He 
sends  him  to  the  country,  or,  in  other  words,  into  the 
world,  to  grow  up  and  become  acquainted  with  the  usages 
of  his  father's  palace.  When  it  comes  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  Ancient  of  Ancients  that  his  son  is  grown,  and  that 
the  time  has  come  to  introduce  him  into  his  presence, 
what  does  his  love  then  prompt  him  to  do  ?  As  a  mark  of 
honor,  he  sends  for  the  queen,  and  brings  her  son  home  to 
his  palace.  Indeed,  the  soul  has  no  sooner  left  the  earth 
than  the  queen  joins  him,  to  show  him  the  way  to  the 
king's  palace,  where  she  dwells  forever  and  ever.  And 
yet  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  are  accustomed  to  grieve 
and  weep  at  parting  with  the  king's  son.  But  if  there  is 
a  wise  man  present,  he  says  to  them,  Why  do  ye  weep  ?  Is 
it  not  the  king's  son  ?  Is  it  not  just  that  he  should  leave 
us  and  dwell  in  his  father's  palace  ?  If  all  the  just  should 
know  this,  they  would  welcome  the  day  when  they  must 
leave  this  earth.  Is  it  not  the  height  of  glory  that  the 
queen,  the  (Scheinah,  or  the  Divine  Presence,)  should  come 
down  in  the  midst  of  them,  that  they  should  be  admitted 
to  the  king's  palace,  and  should  live  in  delight  forever- 
more  and  enjoy  everlasting  happiness?" 

In  the  following  passage  the  Zohar  shows  that  the 
world  is  full  of  spirits  : 

"  God  animated  every  particle  of  matter  with  a  particu- 
lar spirit.  Forthwith,  all  the  celestial  armies  were  formed, 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  185 

and  stood  before  him— with  the  breath  of  his  mouth,  he 
created  all  his  armies.  The  spirits  are  the  messengers  of 
the  Lord." 

In  order  to  show  conclusively  that  the  Cabalists,  pre- 
cisely like  the  believers  in  the  Pitris  in  India,  believed 
also  in  mediating,  directing,  and  inspiring  spirits,  as  well 
as  in  evil  spirits,  we  propose  to  make  one  more  quotation, 
which  shall  be  the  last,  from  the  eminent  translator  and 
commentator  to  whom  we  have  already  so  often  referred. 

"  "We  shall  understand  still  better,"  he  says,  "  what  is 
meant  by  the  spirits  animating  all  the  celestial  bodies,  and 
all  the  elements  of  the  earth,  if  we  pay  particular  atten- 
tion to  the  names  and  functions  attributed  to  them.  In 
the  first  place,  we  must  dismiss  from  our  minds  all  the 
purely  poetical  personifications,  of  whose  character  there 
is  the  slightest  doubt.  Such  are  all  the  angels  which  are 
named  either  after  a  moral  quality  or  a  metaphysical  ab- 
straction, such,  for  instance,  as  good  and  evil  desires,  which 
are  represented  as  real  persons,  acting  in  our  presence ; 
Tahariel,  the  spirit  of  purity ;  Rachmiel,  the  spirit  of 
mercy ;  Tsadkiel,  the  spirit  of  justice ;  Padael,  the  spirit 
of  deliverance,  and  the  famous  Raziel,  the  spirit  of  secrecy, 
which  watches  with  a  jealous  eye  over  the  mysteries  of 
Cabalistic  wisdom.  It  is,  moreover,  a  principle  recognized 
by  all  Cabalists  as  a  part  of  the  general  system  of  being 
that  the  angelic  hierarchy  only  commences  with  the  third 
world,  which  is  called  the  World  of  Formation,  or,  as  they 
say,  in  the  space  occupied  by  the  planets  and  celestial 
bodies.  The  chief  of  these  invisible  forces  is  the  angel 
Metratrone,  so  called  because  he  stands  immediately  below 
the  throne  of  God,  and  alone  forms  the  World  of  Creation 
or  of  pure  spirits.  His  task  is  to  preserve  unity,  har- 
mony, and  motion  in  all  the  spheres.  His  office  is  pre- 
cisely the  same  as  that  of  that  blind  and  indefinite  power 
which  it  is  sometimes  proposed  to  substitute  for  God  under 
the  name  of  Nature.  He  has  under  his  orders  myriads  of 


186  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

subjects,  who  are  divided  into  ten  categories,  no  doubt,  in 
honor  of  the  ten  Zephiroth.  These  subordinate  spirits 
maintain  the  same  relation  to  the  different  parts  of  nature 
as  their  chief  does  to  the  universe.  Thus,  one  presides 
over  the  movements  of  the  earth,  another  over  those  of 
the  moon,  and  the  same  is  true  of  the  other  celestial 
bodies.  One  is  called  the  spirit  of  fire,  JSTouriel ;  another 
the  spirit  of  light,  Ouriel ;  a  third  presides  over  the  dis- 
tribution of  the  seasons ;  a  fourth,  over  vegetation.  Fi- 
nally, all  productions,  all  the  forces,  and  all  the  phenomena 
of  nature  are  represented  in  the  same  way." 

As  for  the  evil  spirits,  which  the  Cabalists  also  believe 
in,  they  regard  them  as  grosser  and  more  imperfect  forms 
of  existence.  In  the  darkness  and  impurity  in  which  they 
move,  they  are  divided,  like  the  superior  spirits,  into  ten 
categories,  personifying  evil  in  all  its  degrees. 

It  will  be  readily  seen  that  upon  all  these  points  the 
Hindu  Book  of  the  Pitris  and  the  Hebrew  Zohar  are  in- 
spired with  the  same  idea.  There  is  the  same  metaphys- 
ical basis,  the  same  belief  in  good  and  bad  spirits,  and  the 
same  system  with  regard  to  the  composition  of  the  uni- 
verse. 

Although  we  are  not  in  possession  of  any  very  precise 
information  with  regard  to  the  evocation  of  spirits  by  the 
Cabalists,  who  probably  never  transmitted  the  prescribed 
formulas,  except  by  word  of  mouth,  still  Hebraic  tradition 
is  so  full  to  overflowing  of  the  phenomena  of  evocation 
and  occult  manifestations,  which  are  a  necessary  outgrowth 
of  the  beliefs  we  have  just  set  forth,  that  it  would  be 
puerile  to  ask  whether  the  ancient  Cabalists,  like  the 
Hindu  priests,  ever  claimed  to  exercise  supernatural 
power. 

We  need  only  remind  the  reader  of  the  witch  of  Endor^ 
evoking  the  ghost  of  Samuel,  the  prophet,  before  Saul,  on 
the  eve  of  the  battle  of  Gilboa  ;  of  Daniel  explaining,  in 
the  presence  of  Balthazar,  the  magical  writing  upon  the 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  18? 

walls  of  his  palace,  by  an  invisible  hand,  in  the  midst  of  a 
feast : 

Mene — Tekel — Upharsin  ; 

and  of  the  witch  Huldah,  whom  the  high  priest  Hilkiah 
made  use  of,  in  order  to  influence  the  people,  as  well  as 
of  hundreds  of  other  similar  facts  which  are  clearly  noth- 
ing but  exterior  manifestations  of  an  occult  power. 

We  may  be  told,  however,  in  opposition,  that  the  Jew- 
ish Cabala  cannot  lay  claim  to  such  antiquity.  It  is  the 
unanimous  opinion  of  all  Cabalists  that  this  mysterious 
philosophy  sprang  originally  from  the  primitive  institution 
of  the  Levites,  and  grew  out  of  their  desire  to  arrogate  to* 
themselves  a  belief  of  a  higher  order  than  that  which  they" 
vulgarly  taught. 

We  are  indebted  to  Cabalistic  tradition  for  the  follow- 
ing legend,  which  we  give  in  conclusion  : ] 

"  One  day,  our  Master  Jochanan  Ben  Zachai  started 
upon  his  travels.  He  rode  a  donkey  and  was  followed  by 
Eabbi  Eleazar  Ben  Aroch.  The  latter  asked  him  to  teach 
him  a  chapter  of  the  Mercaba.  '  Did  not  I  tell  you,'  an- 
swered our  master,  '  that  it  was  not  lawful  to  explain  the- 
Mercaba  unto  one  alone,  if  he  did  not  possess  the  requisite 
degree  of  wisdom  and  intelligence  ? '  '  Is  it  not  lawful,' 
replied  Eleazar,  'at  any  rate,  for  me  to  repeat  in  your 
presence  what  you  have  already  taught  me  ? '  '  Wellr 
speak,'  said  our  master.  Saying  so,  he  dismounted,  drew 
a  veil  over  his  head,  and  sat  down  upon  a  stone  in  the 
shadow  of  an  olive  tree.  Eleazar,  son  of  Aroch,  had 
hardly  commenced  speaking  of  the  Mercaba,  when  a  fire 
descended  from  heaven  and  enveloped  all  the  trees  in  the 
country,  which  seemed  to  sing  hymns,  and  in  the  midst 
of  the  fire,  a  spirit  was  heard  to  express  his  joy  at  hearing 
these  mysteries." 

In  the  same  passage  we  are  told  that  two  others  who* 

1  Thai.  Bab.  Trail.  Chaguiga,  fol.  xiv. 


188  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

had  been  initiated,  Kabbi  Josuah  and  Rabbi  Joseph,  fol- 
lowing Eleazar's  example,  recited  a  chapter  of  the  Mer- 
caba.  The  most  extraordinary  prodigies  again  occurred. 

"  The  sky  was  covered  with  thick  clouds,  a  meteor  very 
much  like  a  rainbow  appeared  in  the  horizon,  and  the 
spirits  were  seen  flocking  to  hear  them,  like  spectators 
crowding  to  witness  the  passage  of  a  wedding." 

Upon  learning  of  the  prodigies  which  had  been  accom- 
plished by  his  disciples  Jochanan  Ben  Zachai  told  of  one 
in  his  turn,  which  was  as  follows : 

"We  had  been  transported  upon  Mount  Sinai,  when 
from  the  heavens  above  a  voice  was  heard,  uttering  these 
words :  Come  up  here,  where  a  splendid  feast  is  provided 
for  you,  and  for  your  disciples,  and  for  all  the  generations 
who  may  hear  these  doctrines.  You  are  destined  to  enter 
the  third  category." 

Thus  the  phenomena  of  external  manifestations,  such 
as  the  fire  hovering  around  the  trees,  and  a  meteor  suddenly 
exhibiting  itself  among  the  clouds ;  the  phenomena  of 
evocation,  such  as  the  spirits  flocking  to  hear  the  mysteri- 
ous secrets  of  the  Mercaba  •  the  phenomena  of  transfor- 
mation, where  Jochanan  and  his  disciples  were  transported 
upon  Mount  Sinai  to  converse  with  the  invisible  spirits  / 
and  finally,  their  admission  to  the  third  category  of  initia- 
tion, in  short,  everything  in  this  Cabalistic  passage,  goes 
to  show  that  those  who  believed  in  the  Zohar  claimed  the 
power  to  evoke  spirits  and  to  produce  external  phenomena. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

POINTS  OF  RESEMBLANCE  BETWEEN  THE  DOCTRINE  OF  THE 
PITRIS  AND  THAT  OF  THE  ZEND-AVESTA  OF  PERSIA, 
THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  PLATO,  THE  ALEXANDRIAN  SCHOOL, 
AND  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 

The  Jewish  Cabala  is  not  the  only  philosophical  system 
in  ancient  times  which  closely  resembles  the  Brahminical 
doctrine. 

According  to  Plato,  the  universe  was  an  emanation  from 
the  Supreme  Being,  created  by  the  Word,  or  Son,  and  was 
a  mere  reproduction  of  the  eternal  types  contained  in  the 
divine  wisdom ;  like  the  Hindus  he  believes  in  the  pre- 
existence  of  the  soul,  and  metempsychosis,  and  like  them 
he  secretly  instructed  those  who  had  been  initiated  in 
doctrines  of  which  those  he  popularly  taught  gave  but  a 
faint  idea. 

If  we  may  apply  that  expression  to  him,  the  philoso- 
pher of  Egina  was  what  we  should  call  in  modern  times, 
an  eclectic. 

He  taught  his  disciples,  in  a  smaller  compass,  the  tra- 
ditions of  human  wisdom,  which  had  been  handed  down 
from  age  to  age  to  his  time,  by  means  of  the  mystic  initia- 
tions in  the  temples. 

"We  are  positively  told  so  by  Proclus,  in  the  following 


"  fA7rdcrav  ftev  TOV  UXarcovo?  <£t\o<ro<£iai/,  KOI  rrjv  d 

vofil^tot  Kara  rrjv  rwv  Kpeirrdvayv  dyadoeiSij  j3ov- 
.    .    T?;?  re  aXX??9  afiracrt)?  ij/j,a$  /z-ero^oo?  (career' 


190  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

rij(7€    rov    HXarawo?    <j)i\oa-o<t>ias,  ical    KOIVWVOVS    r&v   €9 
irapa  T(ov  CLVTOV  TrpecrffvTepcov  //.eretX^^e." 


There  are  so  many  points  of  analogy  between  the  philos- 
ophy of  the  Alexandrian  school,  or  Xeo-platonism,  and 
the  Hindu  doctrines  which  we  have  just  been  investigat- 
ing, that  we  cannot  avoid  the  conclusion  that  the  former 
was  derived  from  that  inexhaustible  Oriental  fountain. 
Moreover,  it  claims,  itself,  to  have  sprung  from  the  mys- 
terious traditions  of  Asia. 

Its  idea  of  God  is  that  he  is  the  Great  All,  from  which 
everything  proceeds,  and  to  which  everything  tends. 

He  is  all  and  everything  is  in  him. 

He  is  unity,  TO  ev  ; 

He  is  the  ineffable, 

He  is  the  unknown, 


According  to  Plotinus  and  his  school,  the  Trinity  is  an 
^emanation  from  unity,  exactly  as  held  by  those  who  be- 
lieve in  the  Pitris. 

It  receives  the  following  names,  taken  from  its  attri- 
butes : 

TO  €v,  TO  ayadoVy  unity  or,  in  other  words,  the  good. 

JVoi)?,  the  soul  of  the  world,  or  the  universal  spirit. 

^¥v)(rj  TOV  TTavros,  rcov  oXwj/,  the  demiourgos,  or  the 
creator. 

The  resemblance  between  the  two  systems  is  not  con- 
fined, however,  to  a  single  point.  Each  member  of  this 
trinity  begets,  in  its  turn,  a  special  trinity,  and  the  mission 
of  the  three  trinities  that  spring  from  them,  is  to  produce 
unceasingly  and  to  perpetuate  in  this  world,  first,  the 
good  ;  second,  the  intelligence  or  the  vital  principle  ;  and 
third,  the  work  of  creation. 

Under  more  mystical  names  they  are  precisely  similar 
to  the  three  trinities  of  the  Brahmins  and  the  Cabalists. 

According  to  the  Neo-platonists  the  Supreme  Being, 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  191 

with  its  various  symbolic  transformations,  is  a  vast  and 
everlasting  source,  from  which  are  constantly  spring- 
ing those  universal  races  which,  through  the  love  of  the 
husband  for  his  spouse,  of  the  unity  for  the  intelligence, 
are  provided  with  all  the  different  attributes  and  are 
thereby  impelled  to  ascend  unceasingly,  through  succes- 
sive transformations,  until  they  arrive  at  unity  itself. 

"  By  a  movement  like  that  of  an  endless  chain  about  a 
wheel,"  as  the  Book  of  the  Pitris  says. 

Between  the  Trinitarian  systems  of  Christianity  and 
those  of  the  Hindus,  of  the  Cabalists,  and  of  the  Neo- 
platonists,  the  numerous  points  of  similarity  are  obvious 
at  a  glance,  and  we  can  readily  see  the  source  from  which 
the  founders  of  that  religion  have  derived  their  revelation. 

We  say  founders,  though  that  is  not  the  proper  name 
to  apply  to  the  authors  of  the  four  gospels,  whose  idea  it 
was  to  create  a  tradition  of  their  own,  for  it  is  now  well 
settled  that  Christianity,  which  is  as  old  as  the  temples  of 
Egypt  and  the  pagodas  of  India,  is  a  symbolic  synthesis  of 
all  the  beliefs  of  antiquity. 

Scholars  living  in  the  primitive  ages  of  the  church  were 
not  so  easily  misled.  In  the  third  century,  the  illustrious 
Manichsean,  Faustus,  wrote  these  words,  which  we  com- 
mend to  the  attention  of  all  those  who  have  made  the  life 
of  Jesus  the  theme  of  romantic  study  : 

"  Everybody  knows  that  the  gospels  were  actually  written 
neither  by  Jesus  Christ  nor  by  his  personal  disciples,  but 
were  carried  along  by  tradition,  and  long  after  their  time 
were  written  by  unknown  people,  who,  correctly  supposing 
that  their  word  would  not  be  taken  as  to  things  that  had 
not  come  under  their  personal  observation,  placed  at  the 
head  of  these  traditional  statements  the  names  of  the 
apostles  or  of  apostolic  men  contemporaneous  with  them." 
(Faustus.) 

The  Council  of  Nice,  under  the  presidency  of  Constan- 
tine,  that  odious  and  criminal  despot,  whose  praises  have 


192  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

been  sung  by  all  the  writers  of  the  Church,  indeed  created 
a  Catholicism,  as  a  means  of  discipline,  which  was  entirely 
different  from  primitive  Christianity. 

In  very  guarded  language,  Franck  expresses  a  similar 
opinion  in  the  following  words : 

"  Have  we  not  every  reason  in  the  world  to  look  upon  the 
Cabala  as  a  precious  relic  of  the  religious  philosophy  of  the 
East)  which  was  transported  to  Alexandria  and  became 
mingled  with  the  teachings  of  Plato,  and  whose  influence — 
under  cover  of  the  usurped  name  of  Denys,  the  Areopa- 
gite — Bishop  of  Athens,  who  was  converted  and  conse- 
crated by  Saint  Paul — was  felt  in  the  mysticism  of  the 
middle  ages  ? " 

To  the  question,  What  is,  then,  this  religious  philosophy 
of  the  East,  whose  influence  is  apparent  in  the  mystic  sym- 
bols of  Christianity  ?  we  answer  as  follows  : 

The  philosophy,  of  which  we  find  traces  among  the 
Magi,  the  Chaldeans,  the  Egyptians,  the  Hebrew  Cabalists, 
and  the  Christians,  is  identical  with  that  of  the  Hindu 
Brahmins,  who  believed  in  the  Pitris. 

There  is  one  argument  in  favor  of  this  opinion  which  is 
absolutively  conclusive,  and  that  is  this :  Among  all  ancient 
countries,  India  is  the  only  one  that  possesses  the  whole  of 
this  philosophy,  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  if  it  were  desired 
to  reconstruct  it  from  materials  obtained  from  other  sources 
than  the  immortal  thinkers  of  the  banks  of  the  Ganges,  it 
would  be  necessary  to  borrow  them  at  second  hand,  here 
and  there,  from  the  various  quarters  wherever  found, 
from  Plato,  from  the  Cabala,  from  the  Alexandrian  school, 
from  the  Magi,  and  from  Christianity. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  high  antiquity  of  the  mighty  work 
performed  in  India  is  opposed  to  the  supposition,  even  for 
an  instant,  that  the  Brahminical  philosophy  was  formed  of 
pieces  and  fragments  taken  from  these  different  systems, 
which,  being  posterior  to  the  Yedas  and  Manu — that  no- 
body disputes — were  not,  as  admitted  even  by  those  who 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  193 

hold  most  firmly  to  the  opposite  view,  born  upon  the  soil 
where  we  now  find  them. 

If  the  Cabala,  if  Magism,  Plato,  the  Alexandrian  school, 
and  Christianity  did  not  derive  their  doctrines  from  orig- 
inal sources,  if,  on  the  contrary,  we  find  them  in  the  re- 
motest ages  in  the  philosophical  works  of  ancient  India, 
not  as  isolated  facts  but  as  a  complete  collection  of  beliefs, 
dogmas,  and  mysteries,  which  go  to  make  up  the  whole  of 
what  is  called  the  Brahminic  civilization,  have  we  not 
every  reason  to  maintain  that  they  came  originally  from 
the  country  of  the  Yedas  ? 

It  is  easy  to  trace  through  the  ages  the  path  of  these 
lofty  speculations.  From  India  they  made  their  way  into 
Persia  and  Chaldea,  both  by  means  of  emigration  and 
natural  infiltration.  It  is  sufficient  to  compare  the  tradi- 
tions of  the  Boun-Dehesh  and  the  Zend-Avesta  with  those 
that  have  been  the  object  of  our  study,  in  order  to  rec- 
ognize their  similarity,  only  the  system  of  the  Parsees 
and  of  the  ancient  Chaldeans  is  less  philosophical  than 
that  of  the  mother  country,  and  concedes  to  the  dews  and 
evil  spirits  a  much  greater  degree  of  importance  than 
that  which  is  recognized  by  the  Indian  theory,  as  possessed 
by  the  Devas  and  Pisatchas. 

We  shall  have  to  descend  to  the  superstitions  of  vulgar 
Brahminism,  we  shall  have  to  go  to  the  religion  of  the 
Soudra,  in  order  to  find  a  like  severity  of  conflict  between 
the  spirits  of  good  and  the  spirits  of  evil.  Parseeism  and 
Chaldeaism  are  a  mixture  of  the  gross  superstitions  of  the 
Hindu  populace  and  of  the  philosophical  conceptions  of 
the  Brahmins. 

This  reminds  us  of  the  following  lines,  which  we  quote 
from  Amniance  Marcellinus  and  which  are  confirmed  by 
Agathias. 

"  The  King  Hytaspes,  haying  penetrated  as  far  as  cer- 
tain retired  places  in  Upper  India,  came  to  some  solitary 
groves,  whose  silence  seem  to  be  favorable  to  the  profound 
13 


194  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

thoughts  of  the  Brahmins.  There  they  taught  him,  as  far 
as  they  possibly  could,  the  pure  sacrificial  rites,  and  the 
causes  of  the  movement  of  the  stars  and  the  universe,  a 
part  of  which  he  communicated  to  the  Magi.  The  latter 
have  transmitted  these  secrets  from  father  to  son,  together 
with  the  science  of  predicting  the  future.  Since  then,  dur- 
ing a  long  succession  of  ages  until  now,  there  have  arisen 
a  multitude  of  Magi,  belonging  to  the  same  race,  who  have 
devoted  themselves  to  the  service  of  the  temple  and  the 
worship  of  the  Gods." 

Egypt,  which  had  never  forgotten  its  early  traditions, 
was  constantly  drawing  new  life  and  vigor  from  the  study 
of  the  scientific  movement  of  Upper  Asia. 

Moses  of  Chorenus,  who  lived  five  centuries  before  the 
present  era,  bears  witness  to  this,  in  the  most  positive 
manner,  in  the  following  passage : 

"The  ancient  Asiatics  had  a  multitude  of  historical 
works  which  were  translated  into  Greek,  when  the  Ptol- 
emies established  the  Alexandrian  library  and  encour- 
aged literary  men  by  their  liberality,  so  that  the  Greek 
language  became  the  depositary  of  all  the  ancient  learn- 
ing." 

It  is  evident  from  all  this,  first,  that  people  in  ancient 
times  did  not  live  a  more  isolated  life  from  each  other,  as 
regards  the  philosophical  and  religious  sciences,  than  they 
do  now.  Second,  that  there  was  a  large  collection  of  tra- 
ditions, of  which  ancient  India  was  the  principal  source. 
Third,  that  a  close  connection  existed  between  the  teach- 
ings of  the  Brahmins  and  the  systems  of  the  Magi,  the 
Chaldeans,  the  Cabalists,  the  Flatonists,  and  the  philoso- 
phers of  the  Alexandrian  School,  whose  sect  called  thera- 
peutse  kept  alive  the  traditions  which  afterward  became 
those  of  Christianity. 

By  the  careful  study  and  comparison  of  the  old  civiliza- 
tions we  thus  acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  general  drift 
and  tendency  of  the  human  intellect  in  those  times,  with- 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  195 

out  regard  to  the  warring  claims  of  rival  sects  or  the  con- 
flicting pretensions  of  individual  pride. 

There  is  not  a  fact,  not  a  belief,  not  a  discovery,  that  is 
independent  of  tradition,  and  those  who,  in  order  to  dia- 
play  their  singularity  and  to  make  a  particular  place  for 
their  special  studies,  are  constantly  meeting  with  concep- 
tions which  lay  claim  to  originality  and  are  said  to  have 
borrowed  nothing  from  any  that  have  preceded  them,  are 
unmindful  of  the  laws  of  history  and  of  the  evolution  of 
the  human  mind. 


FOURTH   PART. 


EXOTEEIC    MANIFESTATIONS    AND    DEMON- 
STRATIONS AMONG  THE  INITIATES  OF 
THE  SACRED  TEMPLES  OF  INDIA, 
AS  SHOWN  BY  THE  PEE- 
FORMING  FAKIRS. 


Power  belongs  to  him  who  knows.  (Agrouchada-Parikchai.) 
He  who  has  penetrated  the  secret  of  things,  who  has  lifted  himself  np 
by  contemplation  to  the  knowledge  of  the  immortal  principle,  who  has 
mortified  his  body  and  developed  his  soul,  who  knows  all  the  mysteries 
of  being  and  not  being,  who  has  studied  all  the  transformations  of  the 
vital  molecule  from  Brahma  to  man  and  from  man  to  Brahma,  he  alone 
is  in  communication  with  the  Pitris  and  commands  the  celestial  forces. 
(Atharva-Veda.) 

The  Boutams  (or  bad  spirits)  tremble  before  him  who  is  shaved,  who 
wears  the  triple  girdle,  and  is  clothed  with  the  yellow  vestment,  and 
who  carries  the  seven-knotted  stick.  (Agrouchada-Parikchai.) 


TO  THE  EEADEK. 

THE  philosophical  part  of  our  work  is  now  ended.  In 
a  subject  so  vast  there  are  many  points,  no  doubt,  that 
might  have  been  more  fully  developed,  but  our  main  pur- 
pose has  been  to  give  a  comprehensive  idea  of  the  met- 
aphysical speculations  of  the  Hindu  initiates,  and  to  show 
that  their  belief  in  spirits  was  only  a  consequence  of  their 
system  relating  to  God  and  his  attributes,  and  to  the  exist- 
ence of  the  universe.  In  the  comparison  of  this  doctrine, 
which  is  based  upon  the  Yedas  themselves,  with  those  of 
other  ancient  people,  we  devoted  most  of  the  space  at  our 
command  to  the  Jewish  Cabala,  because,  though  not  so 
well  known  as  Magism,  the  philosophy  of  Plato,  or  the 
Alexandrian  school,  it  also  believed  in  the  manifestations 
of  spirits,  the  power  of  evocation,  and  its  external  phe- 
nomena, precisely  in  the  same  manner  as  the  philosophy 
of  the  Pitris,  their  traditional  ancestor  on  the  banks  of  the 
Ganges. 

We  might  also  have  called  attention  to  the  fact  that 
primitive  Christianity,  with  its  Thaumaturgists  suddenly 
appearing  through  closed  doors,  raising  the  dead,  float- 
ing in  the  air,  and  receiving  the  gift  of  tongues,  with  its 
initiation  in  the  Catacombs,  its  superior  spirits,  its  demons, 
and  its  exorcists,  was  intimately  related  to  the  Cabala  and 
the  doctrine  of  the  Pitris.  We  confined  ourselves,  how- 
ever, to  the  statement  that  that  religious  revolution  in  the 
earlier  ages  of  our  era  was  only  a  synthesis  of  the  old  be- 
liefs of  Asia.  An  exhaustive  study  of  the  subject  would 
have  required  a  book  by  itself,  which  we  might  not  have 
the  leisure  to  complete. 


200  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

The  special  scope  of  the  present  work  forbids  any  ex- 
tended excursion  into  this  field.  The  mere  fact  of  our 
undertaking  it  would  have  necessarily  led  us  to  devote 
the  same  space  to  the  mysterious  initiations  of  Egpyt, 
Chaldea,  and  Persia,  and,  as  the  reader  will  readily  see,  it 
would  have  compelled  us  to  write  a  general  history  of  the 
ancient  civilizations  of  the  East,  such  as  forms  a  part  of 
the  ethnographical  studies  published  by  us  elsewhere. 

Before  giving  an  account  of  the  exterior  phenomena 
and  manifestations  by  which  the  Hindus  claim  to  show 
that  they  are  in  possession  of  occult  power,  which  is  a 
logical  consequence  of  their  religious  belief  in  the  part 
played  by  spirits  in  the  universe,  we  desire  to  disavow 
any  personal  responsibility  whatever. 

We  assert  nothing  positively  with  regard  to  most  of  the 
facts  which  we  are  about  to  relate.  The  skill  derived 
from  long  experience,  charlatanism,  and  even  hallucina- 
tion itself,  may  assist  to  explain  them.  We  are  bound  to 
say,  however,  as  impartial  and  faithful  observers,  that 
though  we  applied  the  severest  tests,  to  which  the  Fakirs 
and  other  initiates  interposed  no  objection  whatever,  we 
never  succeeded  in  detecting  a  single  case  of  fraud  or 
trickery,  which,  we  admit,  is  far  from  being  a  conclusive 
proof  of  their  honesty. 

Hue,  the  missionary,  who  also  gives  an  account  of  sim- 
ilar phenomena,  witnessed  by  him  in  Thibet,  was  equally 
at  a  loss  to  account  for  them. 

We  are  perfectly  ready  to  admit,  also,  that  we  never 
knew  a  European,  either  in  India  or  Ceylon,  even  among 
the  oldest  residents,  who  was  able  to  indicate  what  means 
the  votaries  of  the  Pitris  used  in  the  production  of  these 
phenomena. 

Is  this  tantamount  to  saying  that  we  believe  in  the  in- 
tervention of  invisible  spirits  ? 

We  do  not  believe  in  spiritualism,  but  while  we  believe 
that  scepticism  or  doubt  in  all  cases,  in  spite  of  any  amount 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  201 

of  proof,  is  something  that  man,  in  his  weakness,  has  no 
right  to  indulge  in,  we  may  add,  on  the  other  hand,  that 
no  one  has  a  right  to  assert  a  thing  positively  or  scientific- 
ally, except  npon  careful  investigation,  based  upon  proof 
upon  either  side. 

We  occupy  the  position  which  we  assumed  in  our  pref- 
ace, viz. :  That  of  a  simple  recorder  of  facts  which  some 
regard  as  occult  manifestations  and  others  as  skilful  jug- 
glery. 

There  are,  however,  some  phenomena,  which,  without 
going  too  far,  we  are  inclined  to  attribute  to  natural  forces, 
the  laws  of  which  have  not  yet  been  ascertained. 

What  are  these  forces  ?  Or  rather,  what  is  the  force 
which  the  Hindus  attribute  to  the  pure  Agasa  fluid,  under 
the  direction  of  the  spirits? 

We  are  not  an  authority  upon  this  point,  and  when 
we  see  the  illustrious  scientist  and  member  of  the  Royal 
Society  of  London,  William  Crookes,  treated  with  ridicule 
and  contempt  on  account  of  the  inquiries  he  is  now  making 
with  a  view  to  the  discovery  of  the  laws  of  this  force,  we 
are  involuntarily  reminded  of  the  words  of  GaLvani,  to 
whom  the  western  world  is  indebted  for  the  earliest  ex- 
periments in  electricity,  as  follows  : 

"I  am  attacked  by  two  classes  of  persons,  the  learned 
and  the  ignorant.  Both  of  them  treat  me  with  ridicule, 
and  say  that  I  am  only  fit  to  be  a  dancing-master  for 
frogsj  and  yet  I  think  that  I  have  discovered  one  of  the 
grandest  forces  in  nature." 

In  short,  with  regard  to  certain  physical  facts,  which 
have  nothing  in  common  with  supernatural  evocations, 
apparitions,  or  manifestations,  and  which  are  not  in  direct 
opposition  to  the  laws  of  nature,  which  are  not  more 
wonderful  than  the  results  produced  by  electricity,  we 
think  that  a  denial  or  affirmation  following  a  thorough 

1  Alluding  to  his  experiments  on  frogs. 


202  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

and  scientific  investigation,  is  better  than  a  denial  or  af- 
firmation a  priori. 

We  know  what  a  denial  a  priori  is  worth.  It  once  re- 
jected steam  and  electricity. 

The  phenomena  which  we  shall  describe  are  all  included 
within  the  three  following  categories : 

First,  facts  and  phenomena  of  exterior  manifestations, 
obtained  by  spiritual  force,  and  generally  with  the  aid  of 
material  objects. 

Second,  facts  of  a  magnetic  or  somnambulistic  character. 

Third,  the  phenomena  of  evocation  and  apparition,  and 
the  production  of  material  objects  by  the  spirits. 

Phenomena  of  the  first  class  are  apparently  easily  tested. 
"We  shall  tell  what  we  have  done  and  what  our  experience 
has  been,  without,  however,  expressing  any  opinion  of  our 
own  as  to  their  causes. 

As  to  the  last  class  of  cases,  we  should  have  omitted 
them  altogether  from  the  present  work,  as  shunning  a 
scientific  investigation,  if — remembering  that  in  ancient 
times  the  belief  in  evocations  and  apparitions  was  uni- 
versal ;  that  all  religions,  with  Christianity  at  their  head, 
included  such  phenomena  in  their  mysteries  and  miracles — 
we  had  not  deemed  that  it  would  be  at  least  a  matter  of 
historical  curiosity  to  set  forth  the  nature  of  these  singu- 
lar practices — in  common  use  in  India  at  the  present  day — 
which  are  so  well  adapted  to  influence  the  popular  mind, 
and  which  formed  the  basis  of  all  the  ancient  superstitions. 


CHAPTEE  I. 

AS   TO   WHO   ABE  INITIATED   INTO   THE  DIFFERENT   CLASSES   OF 
OCCULT   POWER. 

WE  have  already  seen  what  a  long  life  of  prayer,  mace- 
ration, ablution,  and  fasting  the  novices  were  required  to 
pass  in  the  different  degrees  of  initiation.  We  now  dis- 
miss that  branch  of  our  subject. 

It  may  not  be  amiss,  however,  to  remind  the  reader  that 
the  initiated  possessed  powers,  more  or  less  extensive,  ac- 
cording to  the  class  to  which  they  belonged,  and  to  indi- 
cate the  nature  of  these  powers. 

The  first  class  comprised : 

First. — THE  GRIHASTAS. 

Second. — THE  POUROHITAS. 

Third. — THE  FAKIRS. 

The  Grihastas  or  heads  of  families  do  not  forsake  the 
world.  They  are  a  sort  of  connecting  link  between  the 
temple  and  the  people.  They  are  formally  forbidden  to 
make  any  manifestations  of  external  phenomena.  It  is 
their  right,  however,  and  their  duty  to  evoke  the  souls  of 
their  ancestors,  in  some  retired  part  of  their  dwelling,  and 
to  receive  from  them,  as  their  direct  descendants,  only  such 
instruction  as  they  need  for  their  guidance  in  this  earthly 
pilgrimage. 

The  Pourohitas,  or  priests  of  the  popular  cult,  take  part 
in  all  family  ceremonies.  They  evoke  familiar  spirits 
and  drive  away  evil  spirits.  They  cast  horoscopes  and 
preside  over  births,  marriages,  and  funerals.  They  per- 
form all  the  phenomena  of  auspicious  or  inauspicious 


204  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

omens  and  intervene  in  all  cases  of  over-excitement  or 
possession,  to  remove  from  the  subject  all  malign  influ- 
ences. They  confine  themselves  strictly  to  the  domain  of 
religion. 

The  performing  Fakirs  collect  alms  and  money  in  the 
temples,  and  wander  over  the  country  and  through  the 
cities.  They  produce  at  will  the  strangest  phenomena, 
entirely  contrary  to  what  are  conventionally  called  natural 
laws.  With  the  aid  of  spirits,  who  are  present  at  all  their 
operations,  as  claimed  by  the  Brahmins,  they  have  author- 
ity, as  well  as  power,  to  evoke  them. 

The  second  class  includes : 

THE  SANNYASSIS. 

The  third  class  includes : 

First. — THE  NIRVANYS. 

Second. — THE  YOGTTYS. 

In  these  two  higher  grades  of  initiation  the  power  is 
the  same,  only  differing  in  degree.  They  claim  to  have 
subjected  the  visible  as  well  as  the  invisible  world  to 
their  will,  and  only  produce  their  supernatural  manifes- 
tations in  the  interior  of  the  temples  and,  in  very  rare 
cases,  before  the  Rajahs  or  other  eminent  personages  in 
India. 

According  to  their  account,  time,  space,  specific  gravity, 
and  even  life  itself,  are  nothing  to  them.  They  enjoy  the 
faculty  of  laying  aside,  or  resuming,  their  mortal  envelope. 
They  command  the  elements,  transport  mountains,  and 
drain  rivers.  Upon  this  point  the  Oriental  imagination, 
which  knows  no  limits,  gives  itself  the  fullest  scope,  and 
these  spiritual  lights  are  regarded  in  India  as  gods. 

There  is  here  presented,  as  we  see,  a  complete  organiza- 
tion resting  upon  the  caste  system,  and  adapted  to  the  sup- 
port of  a  social  state,  entirely  sacerdotal. 

It  is  claimed  that  these  different  initiates  undergo,  dur- 
ing a  period  of  many  years,  in  the  subterranean  sanctuaries 
of  the  pagodas,  a  course  of  training,  which  modifies  their 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  205 

organization,  from  a  physiological  point  of  view,  and  in- 
creases to  a  large  extent  the  production  of  the  pure  fluid 
emanating  from  them,  called  agasa.  It  is  impossible  for 
us  to  obtain  any  authentic  information  concerning  these  oc- 
cult practices. 

It  is  mainly  with  reference  to  the  Fakirs  that  we  pro- 
pose to  investigate  these  different  phenomena. 


CHAPTER  II. 

AGASA. 

IN  order  to  make  ourselves  understood,  where  there  ia 
as  yet  no  accepted  mode  of  speech,  we  will  say  what  we 
mean  by  the  term  "  spirit  force." 

By  "  spirit  force  "  we  mean  the  alliance  between  the  in- 
tellect and  the  physical  forces,  in  order  to  act  upon  inani- 
mate objects,  without  pre-determining,  in  any  way,  the 
cause  which  sets  this  force  in  motion. 

The  meaning  of  the  word  is  not  strictly,  perhaps,  that 
which  is  generally  attached  to  it.  We  will  therefore  say 
that  we  use  it  only  to  classify  the  phenomena  which  we 
are  about  to  describe,  and  that  the  meaning  here  given  ex- 
presses accurately  the  signification  of  the  term  used  by 
the  Hindus. 

The  supreme  cause  of  all  phenomena,  according  to  the 
Brahmins,  is  the  pure  agasa  fluid,  or  the  vital  fluid,  which 
is  diffused  throughout  nature,  and  puts  animate  or  inani- 
mate, visible  or  invisible  beings,  in  communication  with 
«ach  other.  Heat,  electricity,  all  the  forces  of  nature,  in 
short,  are  but  modes  of  action  and  particular  states  of  this 
fluid. 

The  being  who  possesses  an  excess  of  this  vital  fluid  ac- 
quires a  proportionate  power,  both  over  animate  beings  not 
so  highly  favored,  and  over  inanimate  beings.  The  spirits 
themselves  are  sensible  to  the  influence  of  this  universal 
fluid,  and  can  place  their  power  at  the  service  of  those  who 
are  able  to  evoke  them. 

According  to  some  Brahmins,  agasa  is  the  moving 
thought  of  the  universal  soul,  directing  all  souls,  who  would 


OCCULT  SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  207 

be  in  constant  communication  with  each  other,  if  the  gross 
envelope  of  the  body  did  not  in  a  measure  prevent.  Thus, 
the  more  completely  the  soul  disentangles  itself  from  its 
vestment — the  body — by  contemplation,  the  more  sensible 
it  becomes  to  this  universal  fluid,  whereby  all  beings, 
whether  visible  or  invisible,  are  united. 

Such  is  the  theory.  We  merely  set  it  forth  and  propose 
to  confine  ourselves  to  the  role  of  an  interpreter  and  noth- 
ing more. 


CHAPTEK  III. 

THE   PERFORMING   FAKIRS. 

EVERY  European  has  heard  of  the  extraordinary  skill  of 
the  Hindu  Fakirs,  who  are  popularly  designated  under 
the  name  of  Charmers  or  Jugglers.  They  claim  to  be  in- 
vested with  supernatural  powers.  Such  is  the  belief  of  all 
Asiatic  people. 

When  our  countrymen  are  told  of  their  performances, 
they  usually  answer :  go  to  the  regular  magicians,  they 
will  show  you  the  same  things. 

To  enable  the  reader  to  appreciate  the  grounds  of  this 
opinion,  it  seems  necessary  to  show  how  the  Fakirs 
operate.  The  following  are  facts  which  no  traveller  has 
ventured  to  contradict. 

first. — They  never  give  public  representations  in  places 
where  the  presence  of  several  hundred  persons  makes  it 
impossible  to  exercise  the  proper  scrutiny. 

Second. — They  are  accompanied  by  no  assistant  or  con- 
federate, as  they  are  usually  termed. 

Third. — They  present  themselves  in  the  interior  of  the 
house  completely  naked,  except  that  they  wear,  for  mod- 
esty's sake,  a  small  piece  of  linen  about  as  large  as  the 
hand. 

Fourth. — They  are  not  acquainted  with  goblets,  or  magic 
bags,  or  double-bottomed  boxes,  or  prepared  tables,  or  any 
of  the  thousand  and  one  things  which  our  European  con- 
jurors find  necessary. 

Fifth. — They  have  absolutely  nothing  in  their  possession, 
save  a  small  wand  of  seven  knots  of  young  bamboo,  as  big 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  209 

as  the  handle  of  a  pen-holder,  which  they  hold  in  their 
right  hand,  and  a  small  whistle,  about  three  inches  long, 
which  they  fasten  to  one  of  the  locks  of  their  long,  straight 
hair ;  for,  having  no  clothes  and  consequently  no  pockets, 
they  would  otherwise  be  obliged  to  hold  it  constantly  in 
their  hands. 

Sixth. — They  operate,  as  desired  by  the  person  whom 
they  are  visiting,  either  in  a  sitting  or  standing  posture  or, 
as  the  case  may  require,  upon  the  marble,  granite,  or  stucco 
pavement  of  the  veranda,  or  upon  the  bare  ground  in  the 
garden. 

Seventh. — "When  they  need  a  subject  for  the  exhibition  of 
magnetic  or  somnambulistic  phenomena,  they  take  any  of 
your  servants  whom  you  may  designate,  no  matter  whom, 
and  they  act  with  the  same  facility  upon  a  European,  in 
case  he  is  willing  to  serve. 

Eighth. — If  they  need  any  article,  such  as  a  musical  in- 
strument, a  cane,  a  piece  of  paper,  a  pencil,  etc.,  they  ask 
you  to  furnish  it. 

Ninth. — They  will  repeat  any  experiments  in  your  pres- 
ence as  many  times  as  you  require,  and  will  submit  to  any 
test  you  may  apply. 

Tenth. — They  never  ask  any  pay,  merely  accepting  as 
alms  for  the  temple  to  which  they  are  attached,  whatever 
you  choose  to  offer  them. 

I  have  travelled  through  India  in  every  direction  for 
many  years,  and  I  can  truthfully  state  that  I  have  never 
seen  a  single  Fakir  who  was  not  willing  to  comply  with 
any  of  these  conditions. 

It  only  remains  for  us  to  ask,  whether  our  more  popular 
magicians  would  ever  consent  to  dispense  with  any  of  their 
numerous  accompaniments  and  perform  under  the  same 
conditions. 

There  is  no  doubt  what  the  answer  would  be. 

Without  drawing  any  conclusions  as  to  causes  or  methods, 

I  merely  state  the  facts. 
14 


CHAPTEK  IV. 

THE     LEAF    DANCE. 

WE  select  at  random  some  facts  that  fell  under  our  own 
observation,  as  they  were  noted  down  at  the  time,  grouping 
them,  however,  according  to  the  method  adopted  by  us,  to 
make  the  Hindu  classification  more  clear. 

What  we  call  spirit  force  is  called  by  the  Hindus  arta- 
ahancarasya  or  the  force  of  I. 

I  had  been  a  resident  of  Pondichery,  the  capital  of  the 
French  possessions  in  the  Carnatic,  for  several  years,  when 
one  morning,  between  eleven  and  twelve  o'clock,  my  do- 
bachy  or  valet-de-chambre  informed  me  that  a  Fakir 
wanted  to  see  me. 

I  had  left  Europe  without  the  slightest  idea  of  the 
phenomena  which  the  spiritualists  attribute  to  their  me- 
diums. I  was  ignorant  of  the  very  principles  lying  at  the 
bottom  of  a  faith  which  I  then  believed  to  be  new,  but 
which  I  now  know  to  be  as  old  as  the  temples  of  India, 
Chaldea,  and  Egypt  for  all  religions  commenced  with  the 
belief  in  spirits  and  outward  manifestations,  the  source  of 
a  revelation  claimed  to  be  divine.  I  had  not  even  seen 
a  single  case  of  table-tipping.  The  extravagances  of  the 
faith  in  invisible  spirits  in  which  its  adepts  sincerely  be- 
lieved, and  which  always  formed  a  prominent  feature  of 
their  stories,  were  so  like  the  ecstasies,  the  mysterious  ap- 
paritions, and  the  whole  machinery  of  the  Catholic  church, 
that  it  had  never  occurred  to  me,  ardent  naturalist  as  I 
was,  to  attend  or  witness  one  of  the  experiments  which  had 
stirred  up  such  a  general  interest  in  every  direction. 

As  for  the  Hindu  Fakirs,  I  conceived  them  to  be  simple 
magicians,  and  I  unceremoniously  dismissed  them  when- 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  211 

ever  they  presented  themselves.  Yet  I  had  heard  a  great 
deal  of  their  marvellous  skill,  and  I  was  anxious  to  see  a 
specimen  of  it. 

The  Hindu  having  been  admitted,  I  received  him  in  one 
of  the  interior  verandas  of  my  house.  I  was  struck  first 
by  his  extreme  leanness ;  his  face  was  as  thin  and  bony  as 
that  of  an  anchorite,  and  his  eyes,  which  seemed  half  dead, 
produced  a  sensation  such  as  I  once  experienced  when  look- 
ing at  the  motionless,  green  orbs  of  a  large  deep-water 
shark. 

He  was  waiting  for  me  in  a  squatting  posture  upon  the 
marble  floor ;  when  he  saw  me  he  arose  slowly.  Bowing 
•with  his  hands  raised  to  his  forehead,  he  murmured  the 
following : 

"  Saranai  aya  "  (I  greet  you  respectfully,  Sahib),  "  it  is 
I,  Salvanadin-Odear,  son  of  Canagarayen-Odear.  May  the 
immortals  watch  over  your  days." 

"Salam,  Salvanadin-Odear,  son  of  Canagarayen-Odear, 
may  you  die  upon  the  sacred  banks  of  the  Tircangey,  and 
may  that  transformation  be  your  last." 

"  The  guru  of  the  pagoda  said  to  me  this  morning," 
continued  the  Hindu,  "  go  and  glean  at  random,  like  the 
birds  in  the  rice-fields,  and  Gancsa,  the  god  of  travellers, 
has  led  me  to  your  house." 

"  You  are  welcome." 

"  What  do  you  want  of  me  ? " 

"  You  are  said  to  possess  the  faculty  of  communicating 
movement  to  inert  bodies  without  touching  them.  I  should 
like  to  see  a  specimen  of  your  power." 

"  Salvanadin-Odear  has  no  such  power ;  he  merely 
evokes  spirits,  who  lend  him  their  aid." 

"  Well,  let  Salvanadin-Odear  evoke  the  spirits,  and  show 
me  what  they  can  do." 

The  words  were  hardly  out  of  my  mouth  when  the  Fakir 
resumed  his  squatting  position  upon  the  pavement,  plac- 
ing his  seven-knotted  stick  between  his  crossed  legs. 


212  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

He  then  asked  to  have  my  dobachy  bring  seven  small 
flower-pots  full  of  earth,  seven  thin  sticks  of  wood  each 
about  two  cubits  long,  and  seven  leaves  taken  from  any 
tree,  no  matter  what. 

When  these  different  articles  had  been  brought,  without 
touching  them  himself,  he  had  them  placed  in  a  horizontal 
line,  about  two  yards  from  his  outstretched  arm.  He  in- 
structed my  servant  to  plant  a  stick  of  wood  in  each  pot 
of  earth,  and  to  put  on  each  stick  a  tree  leaf  with  a  hole 
in  the  middle. 

This  being  done,  all  the  leaves  dropped  down  the  sticks, 
acting  as  covers  to  the  pots.  The  Fakir  then  j  oined  his  hands 
and  raised  them  above  his  head,  and  I  heard  him  distinctly 
utter,  in  the  Tamoul  language,  the  following  invocation : 

"  May  all  the  powers  that  watch  over  the  intellectual 
principle  of  life  (kche'tradjna)  and  over  the  principle  of 
matter  (boutatoma)  protect  me  from  the  wrath  of  the  pi- 
satchas  (evil  spirits),  and  may  the  immortal  spirit,  which 
has  three  forms  (mahatatridandi,  the  trinity),  shield  me 
from  the  vengeance  of  Yama." 

At  the  close  of  the  invocation  he  stretched  out  his  hands 
in  the  direction  of  the  flower-pots,  and  stood  motionless,  in 
a  sort  of  ecstasy.  From  time  to  time  his  lips  moved  as  if 
he  were  continuing  his  occult  invocation,  but  no  sound 
reached  my  ears. 

I  watched  all  these  elaborate  preparations  with  consider- 
able interest  and  amusement,  without  suspecting  what  was 
to  follow.  Suddenly  it  seemed  to  me  that  my  hair  was 
moved  by  a  slight  current  of  air,  which  blew  in  my  face 
like  one  of  those  gusts  that  we  often  see  in  the  tropics  af- 
ter sunset,  and  yet  the  large  straw  curtains  of  vetivert, 
hanging  in  the  vacant  spaces  between  the  columns  of  the 
veranda,  were  undisturbed.  I  thought  that  my  senses 
had  deceived  me,  but  the  phenomenon  was  repeated  sev- 
eral times. 

At  the  end  of  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  though  there- 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  213 

had  been  no  change  of  position  on  the  part  of  the  Fakir, 
the  fig-leaves  began  to  move  slowly  upward  along  the 
sticks  of  wood,  and  then  as  slowly  descend. 

I  approached  and  watched  them  as  they  continued  their 
motion  with  the  closest  attention.  I  must  confess  that 
when  I  saw  that  there  was  no  visible  means  of  communi- 
cation between  the  Hindu  and  the  leaves  I  was  very  much 
surprised. 

I  passed  and  repassed  several  times  in  the  space  which 
separated  the  juggler  from  the  pots  of  earth,  but  there 
was  no  interruption  in  the  ascent  or  descent  of  the 
leaves. 

I  asked  to  examine  his  arrangements  and  was  unhesi- 
tatingly allowed  to  do  so.  I  removed  the  leaves  from  the 
sticks,  and  the  sticks  from  the  pots,  and  emptied  their 
contents  upon  the  pavement.  Having  rung  for  the  cou- 
sicara  (or  cook)  I  ordered  seven  goblets  to  be  brought 
from  the  kitchen,  and  some  earth  and  fresh  leaves  from 
the  garden.  I  divided  the  bamboo  stick  myself  into  seven 
pieces,  and  I  arranged  everything  as  it  had  been  done  pre- 
viously, placing  it  all  at  about  four  yards  from  the  Fakir, 
who  looked  on  unconcernedly  during  the  whole  operation, 
without  making  any  remark  or  movement  whatever. 

"  Do  you  think,"  I  then  asked  him,  "  that  the  spirits 
will  act  now  ? " 

He  made  no  answer,  but  merely  extended  his  arms,  as 
lie  had  done  before. 

Five  minutes  had  hardly  elapsed,  when  the  upward  and 
downward  motion  of  the  leaves  along  the  sticks  was 
repeated. 

I  was  amazed  and  it  must  be  confessed  that  I  had  ample 
reason. 

Still  I  would  not  acknowledge  my  defeat.  I  asked  the 
Fakir  if  the  pots  of  earth  were  essential  to  the  production 
of  the  phenomena,  and,  being  answered  in  the  negative,  I 
had  seven  holes  bored  in,  a  plank,  in  which  I  placed  the 


214  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

bamboo  sticks.  In  a  short  time,  the  same  phenomena  oo» 
curred  as  before. 

During  the  next  two  hours,  I  repeated  the  experiment 
in  twenty  different  ways,  but  always  with  the  same  re- 
sult. 

The  only  way  in  which  I  could  account  for  it  was  by 
supposing  that  I  was  under  some  powerful  magnetic  in- 
fluence. The  Fakir  said  to  me :  "  Is  there  not  some  ques- 
tion you  wish  to  put  to  the  invisible  spirits  before  they 
go?" 

The  question  was  totally  unexpected,  but  as  I  had  heard 
that  European  mediums  use  an  alphabet  in  conversing 
with  spirits,  as  they  claim,  I  explained  the  matter  to  the 
Hindu,  and  asked  him  if  I  could  enter  into  communication 
with  them  by  any  such  means. 

He  answered  me  in  these  words,  "  Ask  anything  you 
please,  the  leaves  will  remain  still,  if  the  spirits  have 
nothing  to  say.  If,  on  the  contrary,  those  who  guide  them 
have  any  communication  to  make,  they  will  move  upward 
along  the  sticks." 

I  was  about  to  write  an  alphabet  upon  a  sheet  of  paper 
when  a  very  simple  device  occurred  to  me.  I  had  a  set  of 
raised  brass  letters  and  figures  upon  zinc  blocks  which  I 
used  to  stamp  my  name  and  a  number  upon  the  books  in 
my  library.  I  threw  them  pell-mell  into  a  small  linen 
bag,  and  the  Fakir  having  resumed  his  position  of  invoca- 
tion, I  thought  of  a  friend,  who  had  died  twenty  years 
before,  and  proceeded  to  extract  the  letters  and  numbers, 
one  by  one. 

Upon  taking  up  each  of  the  zinc  blocks  I  looked  at  the 
letter  or  figure  as  I  called  it  off,  and  kept  a  watchful  eye 
upon  the  leaves  so  that  the  least  movement  would  not  es- 
cape me. 

I  had  already  taken  out  fourteen  blocks  and  nothing 
unusual  had  occurred,  when  upon  the  appearance  of  the 
letter  A,  the  leaves  began  to  move,  and  after  ascending  to 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  215 

the  top  of  the  sticks,  fell  again  to  the  boards  in  which  the 
pieces  of  bamboo  had  been  placed. 

I  could  not  help  betraying  some  emotion,  when  I  ob- 
served that  the  motion  of  the  leaves  corresponded  to  the 
appearance  of  the  first  letter  of  my  friend's  name. 

When  the  bag  was  empty,  I  put  the  letters  and  figures 
in  again,  and  continued  as  before.  Letter  by  letter  and 
figure  by  figure  I  obtained  the  following  words : 

Albain  Brunier,  died  at  Bourg-enJyresse  (Am)  January 

3,  1856. 

The  name,  the  date,  the  place,  everything  was  correct ; 
the  blood  rushed  to  my  head  as  I  read  over  and  over  again, 
the  words  which  shone  strangely  in  my  eyes. 

What  made  my  astonishment  still  greater  was  the  fact 
that  I  had  no  conception  of  phenomena  of  this  class.  I 
was  totally  unprepared  for  them  ;  I  wanted  to  be  alone  and 
to  reflect.  I  therefore  dismissed  the  Fakir,  without  mak- 
ing any  further  observations  on  that  day.  I  made  him 
promise,  however,  to  come  on  the  morrow,  at  the  same  hour. 

He  was  punctual  to  the  appointment. 

We  repeated  the  same  series  of  experiments,  and  the 
result  was  the  same  as  before. 

The  excitement  which  I  had  at  first  experienced,  and 
which  was  perfectly  natural  under  the  circumstances,  had 
disappeared,  but  I  was  no  nearer  than  before  to  a  belief 
in  the  supernatural  and  in  the  reality  of  the  Fakir's  evo- 
cations. I  was  merely  led  to  formulate  in  my  own  mind 
the  following  supposition : 

"  If  these  phenomena  were  not  the  result  of  pure  char- 
latanism, magnetic  influence,  or  hallucination,  perhaps 
there  is  a  natural  force,  the  laws  of  which  we  are  yet  igno- 
rant of,  and  which  enables  its  possessor  to  act  upon  inani- 
mate objects,  and  interpret  thoughts,  as  the  telegraph  puts 
two  minds  in  communication  in  different  and  opposite 
parts  of  the  globe." 


216  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

I  spent  a  portion  of  the  night  in  reflection  upon  this 
point.  On  the  morrow  I  repeated  the  phenomena  of  the 
previous  day  at  an  early  sitting.  I  then  asked  the  Fakir 
to  do  them  over  again,  and  I  watched  them,  having  in 
mind  the  supposition  aboved  named. 

When  I  asked  the  Fakir,  for  instance,  to  repeat  the 
communication  of  the  previous  day,  I  changed  in  my  mind 
the  orthography  of  the  name,  dwelling  strongly  upon  each 
letter.  The  following  variations  were  the  result : 

Halbin  Pruniet,  died,  etc. 

I  may  add,  however,  that  when  I  tried  to  change  the 
name  of  the  city,  or  of  the  date  of  the  occurrence,  I  was 
unsuccessful  at  that  time  and  that  the  message  was  always 
the  same  and  always  correct  in  those  respects : 

Died  at  Bourg-en-Bresse  (Ain)  January  3,  1856. 

During  fifteen  days  I  had  the  Fakir  at  my  house  every 
day,  and  he  always  submitted,  with  the  utmost  readiness, 
to  all  my  requirements.  I  varied  my  experiments  as 
follows : 

Bearing  in  mind  always  the  exact  words  of  the  message 
as  I  first  received  it,  1  wanted  to  know  positively,  whether 
it  was  possible  to  effect  a  complete  change  in  its  terms. 

At  one  time  1  obtained  changes  in  the  letters  compos- 
ing the  name,  so  that  no  one  would  have  recognized  it ;  at 
another  time,  the  changes  referred  to  the  date  of  the  day, 
of  the  month,  or  of  the  year,  but  I  never  obtained  the 
slightest  alteration  in  the  name  of  the  city,  which  was  in- 
variably the  same : 

Bourg-en-Bresse. 

'  Hence  I  concluded — referring  always  to  the  supposition 
under  which  I  was  acting,  that  there  really  was  a  natural 
force,  which  had  established  a  communication  between 
myself  and  the  Fakir  and  the  leaves — that  I  could  not 
sufficiently  isolate  my  mind  from  the  correct  orthography 
of  all  the  words  in  the  sentence. 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  217 

On  several  different  occasions  I  made  similar  attempts, 
with  different  subjects,  but  with  no  better  result. 

While,  on  the  one  hand,  the  material  phenomena  were 
repeated  with  scarcely  any  variation  to  speak  of,  still, 
there  were  constant  changes  in  the  interpretation  of  my 
thoughts,  which  were  sometimes  designed  on  my  part,  and 
sometimes,  on  the  contrary,  in  direct  opposition  to  what  I 
had  intended.  In  the  last  sitting  the  Fakir  gave,  he  low- 
ered one  balance  of  a  pair  of  scales  simply  with  a  peacock's 
feather,  when  the  other  balance  contained  a  weight  of 
about  a  hundred  and  seventy  pounds.  By  the  mere  im- 
position of  hands,  he  made  a  crown  of  flowers  float  in  the 
the  air,  the  atmosphere  was  filled  with  vague  and  indis- 
tinct sounds  and  a  shadowy  hand  drew  luminous  figures 
in  space.  At  that  time  I  considered  the  two  latter 
phenomena  simply  as  phantasmagoria — I  did  not  even 
give  them  the  benefit  of  a  doubt.  For  this  reason, 
my  notes  of  this  sitting  do  not  contain  a  full  and  ac- 
curate account  of  the  facts.  I  shall  describe  them  farther 
on  with  suitable  details  in  the  case  of  other  magicians  by 
whom  they  were  also  performed. 

In  short,  with  regard  to  purely  material  facts,  I  may  say 
that  I  never  detected  the  slightest  deception,  and  I  applied 
the  severest  tests  in  order  to  discover  any  fraud. 

As  for  physiological  facts,  dismissing  the  hypothesis  of 
supernatural  intervention,  and  on  the  simple  supposition 
of  a  spiritual  communication  between  the  operator  and  his 
assistant,  I  am  bound  to  say  that  I  personally  obtained 
nothing  fixed,  nothing  invariable. 

Such  were  my  first  observations  at  Pondichery.  My 
judicial  duties  and  special  studies  concerning  ancient  In- 
dia did  not  give  me  time  to  continue  them,  particularly  in 
view  of  the  results  obtained,  which  were  positive  enough 
with  regard  to  all  material  phenomena,  it  is  true,  but  were 
doubtful  and  uncertain  with  regard  to  the  transmission  of 
mental  messages  between  two  persons  in  full  possession  of 


218  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

their  faculties,  but  claimed  to  be  in  spiritual  communi- 
cation. 

Perhaps  there  were  grounds  that  might  have  warranted 
a  further  investigation  into  this  material  force,  and,  sup- 
posing that  it  really  existed,  for  attempting  to  free  it  from 
the  elaborate  appliances  and  clap-trap  by  which  it  was  en- 
compassed, in  order  to  strike  the  popular  imagination.  It 
was  not,  however,  my  business  to  do  so,  being  otherwise 
occupied,  as  I  have  already  said,  by  my  professional  duties. 
and  studies  in  relation  to  primitive  society  in  Asia. 

Still,  while  I  took  no  further  active  interest  in  these 
phenomena,  I  was  in  the  habit  of  setting  apart  anything  I 
might  meet  with,  in  the  course  of  my  studies,  relating  to 
the  doctrine  of  the  Pitris,  with  the  idea  of  publishing 
subsequently  whatever  I  might  come  across  upon  a  sub- 
ject which  seems  to  interest  the  Western,  as  much  as  it 
does  the  Asiatic  world. 

From  this  time  forward  I  also  made  notes  of  all  the 
material  phenomena  by  whose  aid  the  Fakirs  seek  to 
prove  the  existence  of  the  power  they  claim,  for  it  seems 
to  me  that  such  facts  were  strongly  corroborative  of  their 
theory. 

Although  I  have  been  careful  to  avoid  any  departure 
from  the  part  which  I  have  assumed  as  a  simple  historian, 
I  have  desired,  in  the  present  chapter,  to  give  an  account 
of  the  only  attempts  I  have  ever  seriously  made  to  inform 
myself  regarding  this  force  which  the  Fakirs  appear  to 
possess  and  by  means  of  which,  they  claim,  they  hold 
communication  with  invisible  spirits,  a  claim  which  many 
persons  of  our  time,  even  of  the  highest  intelligence,  are 
disposed  to  allow.  It  seems  to  me  that  a  reply  is  due  to 
the  reader  who  may  ask :  Why  does  the  author  disavow 
any  personal  responsibility  ?  has  he  no  opinion  whatever 
upon  this  question  ? 

I  have  indeed  no  scientific  opinion  upon  this  subject,  as. 
yet. 


OCCULT  SCIENCE   IN  INDIA.  219' 

I  am  convinced  that  there  are  in  nature,  and  in  man, 
who  is  a  part  of  nature,  immense  forces,  the  laws  of  which 
are  yet  unknown  to  us. 

I  think  that  man  will  some  day  discover  these  laws,  that 
things  that  we  now  regard  as  dreams,  will  appear  to  us,  in 
the  future,  as  realities,  and  that  we  shall  one  day  witness 
phenomena  of  which  wTe  have  now  no  conception. 

In  the  world  of  ideas,  as  in  the  material  world,  there  is 
a  period  of  gestation,  as  of  birth.  Who  knows  whether 
this  psychic  force,  as  the  English  call  it — this  force  of  the 
Ego,  according  to  the  Hindus,  which  the  humble  Fakir 
exhibited  in  my  presence,  will  not  be  shown  to  be  one  of 
the  grandest  forces  in  nature  ? 

I  may  be  told  that  for  more  than  ten  thousand  years, 
during  which  the  Hindus  have  given  it  their  attention,, 
they  have  never  succeeded  in  formulating  the  laws  of  this- 
pretended  force,  and  that  we  cannot  afford  to  lose  our 
time,  now  or  in  the  future,  as  they  .have  done. 

The  Brahmins  have  made  everything  subordinate  to 
their  religion,  and  we  know  that  in  religious  matters 
there  are  no  scientific  experiments  or  proof.  See  what 
the  middle  ages  produced  in  the  domain  of  the  exact 
sciences  by  taking  their  axioms  from  the  words  of  the  Bible ! 

From  the  remotest  antiquity  the  pundits  of  the  pagodas 
have  been  in  the  habit  of  bursting  vessels  by  the  use  of 
compressed  steam.  They  have  also  observed  many  elec- 
trical phenomena,  but  that  has  not  led  to  the  construction 
of  railroads  or  telegraphs.  Among  ourselves,  have  we  not 
seen  scientific  societies  of  the  highest  order  officially  treat 
Fulton  like  a  crazy  man,  and  regard  the  telegraph  as  a 
toy,  only  fit  for  sending  messages  from  one  room  to 
another  in  the  same  dwelling.  In  the  open  air,  and  with 
atmospheric  disturbances,  the  telegraph  wire  was  not  to 
be  relied  upon. 

It  has  now,  however,  put  a  girdle  round  the  earth,  and 
we  have  sunk  it  at  the  bottom  of  the  deepest  seas. 


220  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

See  what  human  society  as  a  whole  has  done.  Every 
age  turns  an  idea  over  and  over  again  in  all  its  phases  ; 
scientific  men  develop  it  and  set  forth  their  theory,  from 
which  they  refuse  to  swerve  ;  every  scientific  body  has 
an  opinion,  to  which  it  stoutly  clings.  If  it  does  not  say 
in  so  many  words,  "  Thus  far  shalt  thou  go  and  no  far- 
ther," everybody  knows  that  it  thinks  so,  for  it  rejects 
every  idea  that  does  not  originate  in  its  own  bosom,  every- 
thing new  and  startling.  Then  the  new  generation  comes 
upon  the  stage  and  the  sons  rebel  against  their  fathers, 
as  behind  the  time.  The  screw  traverses  the  ocean,  re- 
gardless of  wind  or  tide,  and  the  electric  fluid  transmits 
thought  to  the  four  corners  of  the  globe. 

As  I  have  been  led  to  speak  of  my  own  views  I  will  say 
that  the  conclusion  that  I  have  drawn  from  what  I  have 
seen  in  India,  laying  aside  the  clap- trap  by  which  it  is  sur- 
rounded, and  of  which  the  Hindus  are  very  fond,  is  that 
there  is  in  man  a  special  force  acting  in  an  unknown  di- 
rection, and  often  intelligently,  the  laws  of  which  re- 
quire to  be  studied  by  unprejudiced  and  liberal-minded 
specialists. 

Perhaps  it  is  this  force,  developed  by  education  and  by 
a  certain  system  of  training,  that  the  priests  in  the  ancient 
temples  set  in  motion,  in  order  to  impress  the  popular 
imagination  by  pretended  prodigies. 

In  that  case  there  would  seem  to  be  some  foundation 
for  the  ancient  stories  and  there  probably  was  a  real  de- 
velopment of  a  natural  force,  in  connection  with  an  exhi- 
bition of  the  grossest  superstition,  moving  the  tree  leaves 
at  a  distance,  as  well  as  the  floral  garlands  and  tapestry 
hung  in  the  temples,  adding  several  pounds  to  the  weight 
of  peacock's  feathers,  and  producing  musical  sounds  by  the 
aid  of  concealed  instruments. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  our  scientists  will  some  day  or 
other  make  a  serious  investigation  into  the  production  of 
some  of  these  phenomena,  which  I  saw  repeated  before 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

my  eyes,  and  which  left  no  room  for  the  slightest  suspicion 
of  charlatanism.  I  do  not  know  that  such  is  their  inten- 
tion, but  it  would  be  of  some  use,  at  any  rate,  whether  it 
results  in  the  exposure  of  a  fraud,  or  whether  it  ends  in 
the  discovery  of  a  new  force  in  nature. 


As  I  was  putting  in  order  for  the  press  the  different  por- 
tions of  this  volume,  which  was  written  at  Pondichery  in 
1866,  and  which  had  slumbered  in  my  drawer  until  then, 
for  special  reasons,  I  intended  at  first  to  omit  that  part  of 
the  present  chapter  where,  departing  from  my  role  as  a 
simple  observer,  I  seemed  to  take  sides  in  favor  of  a  force, 
purely  natural,  it  is  true,  but  which  produced  phenomena 
that  were  apparently  supernatural. 

So  far,  I  had  rigidly  excluded  my  personal  opinions ; 
should  I  now  depart  from  this  rule  in  that  part  of  my 
book  which  treated  of  the  more  or  less  fantastical  prac- 
tices of  the  Hindus  ? 

On  the  other  hand,  should  I  hesitate  to  acknowledge 
what  seemed  to  be  the  few  probably  real  facts,  apart  from 
the  supernatural,  which  seemed  to  me  to  result  from  what 
I  had  seen  ? 

I  had  not  yet  come  to  a  decision  on  this  point  when, 
through  the  politeness  of  Dr.  Fuel,  I  was  made  acquainted 
with  an  article  upon  the  psychic  force,  published  by  Wil- 
liam Crookes,  the  eminent  scientist  and  member  of  the 
Royal  Society  of  London,  in  the  Quarterly  Journal  of 
Science,  one  of  the  most  respectable  scientific  organs  of 
England. 

I  was  not  in  England  when  the  article  appeared,  and  dis- 
tance and  my  other  studies  made  it  impracticable  for  me 
to  keep  up  my  familiarity  with  works  of  this  nature. 

Imagine  my  surprise  to  see  that  the  eminent  chemist 
and  physiologist  had  arrived  at  the  positive  conclusion,  as 
the  result  of  experiments  similar  to  those  I  had  seen  in 


222  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

India,  that  there  exists  a  new  force  in  the  human  organ- 
ism, as  I  had  timidly  suggested,  several  years  before,  as  a 
matter  of  supposition. 

I  immediately  came  to  the  determination  to  leave  my 
chapter  as  I  had  written  it,  but  to  refer  the  reader  to  the 
article  in  question,  as  confirmatory  of  the  position  I  had 
assumed. 

If,  in  spite  of  all  the  precautions  I  have  taken  to  banish 
anything  in  favor  of  a  belief  in  the  supernatural  and  to 
express  my  own  opinion  in  the  most  hypothetical  manner, 
I  have  laid  myself  open  to  the  reproach  of  being  too  credu- 
lous, I  shall  bear  the  blame  cheerfully,  in  the  company  of 
one  of  the  most  distinguished  of  English  scientists. 
*  *  •*  *  *  * 

It  appears  that  this  force,  which  first  suggested  itself  to 
my  mind  inQSoS,  in  order  to  explain  the  phenomena  which 
were  then  taking  place  in  India  before  my  face  and  eyes 
(the  hypothesis  that  it  was  supernatural  being  totally  in- 
admissible), had  recently  been  recognized  by  physicians, 
astronomers,  naturalists,  and  others,  members  of  the  Royal 
Society  of  London — which  contains  all  who  are  eminent 
for  their  learning  in  England,  as  our  Academy  of  Sciences 
contains  men  who  are  known  and  esteemed  for  their  labors 
the  world  over — not,  as  I  had  done,  by  suggesting  it  as  an 
hypothesis  to  explain  certain  phenomena,  but  by  main- 
taining, after  two  years  of  experiments  : 
—  First,  that  there  exists  a  force  capable  of  moving  heavy 
bodies  without  material  contact,  which  depends  in  some 
unknown  manner  upon  the  presence  of  human  beings. 

Second,  that  nothing  certain  was  known  with  regard  to 
the  nature  and  source  of  this  force,  but  there  is  conclusive 
evidence  that  it  exists. 

Third,  that  movements  can  be  produced  in  solid  bodies 
without  material  contact  by  this  hitherto  unknown  force, 
acting  at  an  indefinite  distance  from  the  human  organism, 
ttnd  wholly  independent  of  muscular  action. 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  223 

Fourth,  that  this  force  makes  solid  bodies,  which  have 
no  contact  or  visible  or  material  connection  with  the 
bodies  of  any  persons  present,  emit  sounds  which  are  dis- 
tinctly heard  by  all  present,  and  it  is  proved  that  these 
sounds  proceed  from  these  objects,  by  vibrations  which 
are  perfectly  perceptible  to  the  touch. 

Fifth,  that  this  force  is  frequently  directed  with  intelli- 
gence. 

The  question  is  whether  this  is  the  force  which  the 
Hindus,  who  have  known  of  its  existence  for  thousands  of 
years,  have  sought  to  develop  in  all  subjects  who  were 
willing  to  become  their  tools,  and  who   have  afterward, 
with  a  view  to  religious  domination,  attributed  its  mani- 
festations to  superior  spirits.     We  rather  incline  to  think 
so,  though  we  express  no  opinion  as  to  its  nature  or  origin. 
It  is  not  with  a  view  to  elucidate  this  question,  by  showing 
what  arguments  may  be  urged  on  either  hand,  that  we 
have  given  this  brief  sketch  of  what  has  been  accom- 
plished by  English  scientists  upon  this  point.     Our  inten-  ) 
tion  was  simply  to  show  that  scientific  men  in  England/ 
have  officially  recognized  the  existence  of  a  force,  independ-\ 
ent  of  muscular  action,  capable  of  moving  bodies,  of  some- 
times emitting  melodious  sounds,  and  which  is  frequently 
directed  with  intelligence,  and  to  draw  the  conclusion,  from 
the  similarity  of  the  phenomena  witnessed  in  England  t 
and  in  India,  that  the  laws  which  govern  them,  in  either 
country,  are  identical. 

If  some  of  the  facts  observed  in  India  seem  to  be  more 
wonderful  than  any  which  have  formed  the  subject  of 
experiment  in  England  (I  speak  of  the  latter  more  par- 
ticularly on  account  of  the  scientific  endorsement  they 
have  received),  the  two  following  reasons  may  be  given : 

It  is  very  possible  that  the  Hindus,  in  addition  to  the 
real  force  they  possess,  also  display  a  skill  so  great  that  it 
is  difficult  to  detect  them  in  any  act  of  deception. 

Perhaps,  too,  as  they  have  been  in  possession,  for  several 


224  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

thousand  years,  of  this  special  force,  they  have  discovered 
the  laws  which  the  Englishmen  were  unable  to  formulate, 
though  they  had  proved  the  existence  of  the  force  itself. 

It  would  follow  therefrom  that  the  discovery  of  the 
laws  in  question  may  have  led  to  a  more  marked  and  de- 
cided progress  in  the  production  of  these  phenomena. 

With  these  remarks,  and  without  guaranteeing  their 
scientific  value,  we  will  continue  our  account  of  the  extra- 
ordinary manifestations  which  the  Brahmins  attribute  to 
superior  spirits,  and  which  they  hold  to  be  a  part  of  their 
religion. 

We  shall  continue  also,  however,  to  indicate  the  efforts 
made  by  us  to  test  them,  as  far  as  we  were  able.  The 
accounts,  as  we  have  said  before,  are  taken  from  our  notes 
of  travel  in  upper  Bengal  and  the  Himalaya  Valleys.  We 
have  only  omitted  the  descriptive  portions  and  such  facts 
as  are  of  no  general  importance,  being  wholly  personal. 


CHAPTER  Y. 

THE   BRONZE   VASE — MUSICAL   ACCOMPANIMENTS. 

"  In  view  of  the  strange  phenomena  which  succeed  each 
other  so  rapidly,  and  which  are  as  yet  unexplained,"  says 
the  learned  Mr.  Crookes,  in  the  article  to  which  we  have 
referred,  "  I  confess  that  it  is  difficult  to  avoid  speaking 
of  them  in  language  of  a  somewhat  sensational  character." 

While  the  incomparable  light  of  a  tropic  sun  and  the 
splendors  of  Indian  scenery  form  a  natural  and  appropriate 
setting  for  these  phenomena,  and  heighten  their  effect, 
they  make  it  more  difficult,  however,  for  us  to  avoid  the 
mistake  pointed  out  by  the  eminent  chemist  of  the  Royal 
Society  of  London.  Still,  we  think  that  it  is  possible  to 
select  words  that  shall  express  facts  without  making  them 
more  marvellous  than  they  really  are,  and  that  shall  sim- 
ply and  accurately  describe  the  phenomena  as  they  actually 
occurred. 

We  made  no  attempt  to  repeat  the  series  of  experiments 
of  which  we  gave  an  account  in  the  last  chapter,  but  we 
lost  no  opportunity,  during  our  long  abode  in  the  French 
possessions  in  India,  and  the  different  voyages  we  made  in 
that  vast  country,  of  attentively  observing  any  manifesta- 
tions that  bore  any  relation  to  that  subject. 

<J/vt>is 

Leaving  Chandernagor  on  the  3d  of  January,  1866,  in  a 
dingui,  which  is  a  sort  of  boat  peculiar  to  that  country, 
provided  with  a  small  cabin,  I  arrived  at  Benares,  the 
Holy  City,  a  fortnight  afterward. 
15 


226  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

Two  servants  accompanied  me,  a  ccmsama?  or  valet-de- 
chambre,  and  a  metor,  whose  duty  it  was  to  prepare  my 
meals. 

The  crew  consisted  of  a  cercar,  or  head  boatman,  and 
six  macouas,  or  rowers,  belonging  to  the  caste  of  fishermen. 

Shortly  before  sunset  one  evening  we  were  lying  off  the 
staircase  of  Gath  near  the  celebrated  pagoda  of  Siva.  It 
is  impossible  to  describe  the  spectacle  that  met  my  eyes. 

"  Few  cities,"  says  E.  Eoberts,  "  no  matter  how  mag- 
nificent, are  so  grand  and  imposing  in  appearance  as 
Benares." 

When  the  watchful  traveller  ascends  the  Ganges  his 
approach  to  the  great  city  is  first  announced  by  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  minarets,  whose  towers,  rising  above  the 
heavy  masses  of  the  surrounding  palaces,  are  scattered  in 
an  apparently  disorderly,  though  picturesque  manner, 
along  the  crooked  banks  of  the  river,  for  about  a  couple 
of  leagues. 

It  is  impossible  to  resist  the  impression  made  by  the 
magnificent  panorama  presented  by  such  a  multitude  of 
temples,  towers,  long  arcades  supported  by  columns,  ele- 
vated quays,  and  terraces  whose  balustrades  stand  out  in 
strong  relief,  amid  the  luxuriant  foliage  of  baobab,  tam- 
arind, and  banana  trees ;  and  which,  covered  here  and 
there  with  clusters  of  flowers  of  various  shades,  appear- 
ing among  the  heavily  carved  buildings,  rise  majestically 
above  gardens,  beautifully  situated  among  spacious  courts. 

The  absence  of  any  regular  plan,  the  different  styles  of 
architecture,  the  mingling  of  the  austere  and  solemn  with 
the  light  and  fantastic,  give  an  odd  appearance  to  some 
parts  of  the  scene,  but  its  effect  as  a  whole  is  magnificent, 
and  most  of  the  details  possess  a  beauty  of  which  it  is 
impossible  to  give  any  conception. 


JIn  Hindustanee  the  word  cansama  means  the  same  as  dobachy  in 
TamouL 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  227 

The  gaths,  which  are  a  sort  of  monument  composed  of 
four  columns  united  by  a  single  cornice,  and  which  are 
situated  at  the  top  of  the  gigantic  stairs,  whose  bottom 
steps  are  bathed  in  the  waters  of  the  Ganges,  are  the  only- 
quays  possessed  by  the  old  city,  which  was  the  ancient 
Kassy  of  the  earliest  rajahs.  From  the  rising  to  the  setting 
of  the  sun  they  are  covered  by  coolies  loading  and  un- 
loading the  small  vessels  that  traverse  the  Ganges  in  every 
direction,  bringing  to  market  in  upper  Bengal  all  the 
merchandise  of  India  and  Asia. 

As  I  ordered  the  cercar  to  moor  the  boat  to  the  gath  of 
Siva  a  circumstance  struck  me  with  astonishment.  The 
Hindus  and  Mussulmans  who,  time  out  of  mind,  have  been 
so  deeply  divided  by  their  old  enmity  toward  each  other 
in  the  south  of  India,  where  they  are  an  insignificant 
minority  of  the  whole  population,  were  performing  their 
ablutions  together  promiscuously  at  the  feet  of  the  gaths 
of  Benares. 

Though  the  followers  of  the  Prophet  have  always  fought 
against  idolatry  with  fire  and  sword,  until  the  reign  of 
Aurengzeb,  they  always  respected  the  sacred  city  of  their 
conquered  foe,  which  seemed  to  inspire  them  with  a  mys- 
terious terror. 

The  Brahmins  claimed  that  Benares  had  been  built  by 
Siva,  in  order  to  serve  as  an  asylum  to  the  righteous, 
when  the  earth  should  be  overrun  by  crime  and  sorrow  ; 
and  that  it  would  never  experience  any  of  those  vicissi- 
tudes to  which  all  earthly  things  are  subject. 

Aurengzeb,  to  humiliate  their  pride,  destroyed  one  of 
their  oldest  and  most  venerable  pagodas,  and  erected  in  its 
stead  the  splendid  mosque  that  bears  his  name,  whose 
slender  spires,  covered  with  leaves  of  gold,  inform  trav- 
ellers that  the  city  is  at  hand,  long  before  they  can  see  it. 
To-day,  numerous  Mussulman  temples  rise  by  the  side  of 
Hindu  pagodas,  and  the  Brahmins  witness,  without  being 
able  to  prevent  it,  but  with  horror  that  they  are  power- 


228  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

less  to  conceal,  the  slaughter  of  cattle  for  sacrificial  or 
culinary  purposes  in  the  holy  city,  which  had  been  polluted 
by  the  killing  of  no  animal  since  the  Mogul  invasion. 

In  spite  of  the  vandalism  which  has  destroyed  some  of 
the  oldest  and  handsomest  monuments  in  India,  and 
although  in  other  countries  subject  to  their  laws  the 
Mussulmans  have  used  every  means  and  shrunk  from 
nothing  in  order  to  convert  the  Hindus  to  the  faith  of  the 
Prophet,  the  Mogul  sovereigns  always  used  the  largest 
tolerance  at  Benares  for  the  religious  beliefs,  manners,  and 
usages  of  their  conquered  foe.  It  is  for  this  reason,  no 
doubt,  that  the  two  nations  are  on  the  best  of  terms  in 
this  part  of  Bengal.  However,  until  I  had  seen  it  I 
would  never  have  believed  that  the  Mussulmans  and  Hin- 
dus would  ever  consent  to  perform  their  religious  ablutions 
in  the  same  place. 

In  the  south  of  India,  a  Mussulman  who  should  bathe 
in  the  sacred  tank  of  a  pagoda  would  be  put  to  death  on 
the  spot. 

When  I  arrived  at  Benares,  I  intended  to  remain  there 
a  couple  of  months.  That  was  by  no  means  too  long  a 
stay,  in  view  of  the  inquiries  I  desired  to  make  regarding 
the  antiquities  of  the  country,  but  it  was  too  long  to  put 
up  at  a  hotel  or  bungalow.  I  therefore  determined  to 
hire  a  house  of  my  own  and  to  go  to  housekeeping  at 
once.  To  have  a  home  of  one's  own  in  the  East,  and 
especially  in  the  far  East,  is  almost  one  of  the  first  neces- 
saries of  life. 

I  was  about  sending  my  cansama  upon  a  voyage  of  dis- 
covery, when  the  Peishwa,  a  Mahratta  prince  at  Benares 
with  whom  I  had  become  acquainted  through  the  Kajah 
at  Chandernagor,  hearing  of  my  arrival,  sent  to  offer  me 
apartments  in  the  magnificent  seven  storied  palace  owned 
by  him  upon  the  banks  of  the  Ganges,  to  the  left  of  the 
celebrated  mosque  of  Aurengzeb. 

It  is  no  uncommon  thing  for  the  princes  and  rajahs  of 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  229 

Hindustan,  although  they  often  reside  at  a  great  distance 
from  Benares,  to  build  houses  in  that  city,  to  which  they 
resort  during  the  festivities  incident  to  the  celebration  of 
their  birthday,  and  to  which  they  retire  in  the  evening  of 
life,  when,  weary  of  the  world,  they  desire  to  end  their 
days,  according  to  the  laws  of  Manu,  in  the  observance  of 
their  religious  duties  and  in  the  practice  of  austerity. 

According  to  their  religious  belief,  those  who  die  in  the 
Holy  City  are  not  obliged  to  go  through  any  further  trans- 
formations, but  their  souls  immediately  ascend  to  the 
abode  of  Brahma  and  are  absorbed  in  the  great  soul. 

Numerous  pilgrims  daily  arrive  from  all  parts  of  India, 
who  come  to  perform,  either  on  their  own  account,  or  on 
behalf  of  wealthy  persons  who  employ  and  pay  them  for 
that  purpose,  devotional  exercises,  upon  the  banks  of  the 
sacred  river,  whose  waters  are  nowhere  else  considered  so 
propitious  as  at  the  feet  of  the  Holy  City. 

Some  bring  the  bones  of  Eajahs  or  other  distinguished 
personages,  whose  families  are  able  to  afford  the  expense, 
which  are  collected  after  being  burnt  upon  the  funeral 
pyre  in  little  bags  which  they  are  instructed  to  throw  into 
the  Ganges.  The  supreme  hope  of  the  Hindu  is  to  die 
upon  the  banks  of  that  river,  or  to  transport  his  remains 
thither. 

To  this  latter  belief  I  was  indebted,  during  my  stay  at 
Benares,  for  a  meeting  with  the  most  extraordinary  Fakir, 
perhaps,  that  I  had  ever  encountered  in  India.  He  came 
from  Trivanderam,  near  Cape  Comorin,  in  the  extreme 
south  of  Hindustan,  and  his  mission  was  to  take  charge  of 
the  remains  of  a  rich  Malabar,  belonging  to  the  caste  of 
commoutys  (merchants).  The  Peishwa,  whose  family  was 
originally  from  the  South,  and  who  was  in  the  habit  of 
extending  hospitality  to  pilgrims  from  Travencor,  Mais- 
fiour,  Tandjaor,  and  the  old  Mahratta  country,  in  the 
buildings  attached  to  his  palace,  had  found  lodgings  for 
him  in  a  small  thatched  cottage  upon  the  very  banks  of 


230  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

the  river  in  which  he  had  to  perform  his  ablutions,  for 
the  next  three  weeks,  in  honor  of  the  dead.  He  had  been 
there  a  fortnight  already  before  I  heard  of  his  arrival. 
His  name  was  Covindasamy. 

After  assuring  myself  of  his  consent,  I  had  him  brought 
to  my  apartment  one  day,  at  about  noon,  when  the  other 
occupants  of  the  palace,  on  account  of  the  extreme  heat, 
were  indulging  in  their  noonday  siesta. 

The  room  in  which  I  received  him  looked  out  upon  the 
terrace,  which  in  turn  overlooked  the  Ganges,  and  was 
protected  against  the  burning  sun,  by  a  movable  tent 
made  from  woven  fibres  of  vetivert.  In  the  middle  of  the 
terrace  there  was  a  water-spout  which  fell  in  a  fine  shower 
into  a  marble  basin  and  diffused  a  most  delightful  cool- 
ness. 

I  asked  the  Fakir  if  he  wished  to  occupy  any  particular 
place,  rather  than  another. 

"  As  you  please,"  he  answered. 

I  asked  him  to  go  out  upon  the  terrace,  which  was  much 
lighter  than  the  room,  and  where  I  would  have  a  better 
opportunity  to  watch  him. 

"  Will  you  allow  me  to  put  to  you  a  single  question  ? "' 
said  I,  when  he  had  assumed  a  squatting  position  upon 
the  ground. 

"  I  am  listening  to  you." 

"  Do  you  know  whether  any  power  is  developed  in  you, 
when  you  perform  these  phenomena  ?  Did  you  ever  feel 
any  change  take  place  in  your  brain  or  any  of  your  mus- 
cles?" 

"  It  is  not  a  natural  force  that  acts.  I  am  but  an  instru- 
/  ment.  I  evoke  the  ancestral  spirits,  and  it  is  they  who 
manifest  their  power." 

I  have  questioned  a  multitude  of  Fakirs  in  relation  to 
this  matter,  and  they  have  nearly  all  made  the  same  an- 
swer. They  look  upon  themselves  only  as  intermediaries 
between  this  world  and  the  invisible  spirits.  Observing 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  231 

that  he  entertained  the  same  belief,  I  dropped  the  subject 
in  order  that  Covindasamy  might  go  on  with  his  perform- 
ances. The  Fakir  was  already  in  position  with  both  hands 
extended  toward  an  immense  bronze  vase  full  of  water. 
Within  five  minutes  the  vase  commenced  to  rock  to  and 
fro  upon  its  base,  and  approach  the  Fakir  gently  and  with 
a  regular  motion.  As  the  distance  diminished,  metallic 
sounds  escaped  from  it,  as  if  some  one  had  struck  it  with 
a  steel  rod.  At  certain  times  the  blows  were  so  numer- 
ous and  quick  that  they  produced  a  sound  similar  to  that 
made  by  a  hail-storm  upon  a  metal  roof. 

I  asked  Covindasamy  if  I  could  give  directions,  and  he 
consented  without  hesitation. 

The  vase,  which  was  still  under  the  performer's  influence, 
advanced,  receded,  or  stood  still,  according  to  my  request. 

At  one  time,  at  my  command,  the  blows  changed  into  a 
continuous  roll  like  that  of  a  drum ;  at  another,  on  the 
contrary,  they  succeeded  each  other  with  the  slowness  and 
regularity  of  the  ticking  of  a  clock. 

I  asked  to  have  the  blows  struck  only  every  ten  seconds, 
and  I  compared  them  with  the  progress  of  the  second  hand 
upon  the  face  of  my  watch. 

Then  loud,  sharp  strokes  were  heard,  for  a  minute  and 
two-thirds. 

Upon  the  table  of  the  drawing-room  attached  to  my 
apartments,  stood  one  of  those  music-boxes  of  which  the 
Hindus  are  so  fond,  and  which  the  Peishwa  had  no 
doubt  procured  from  Calcutta.  I  had  it  brought  out  upon 
the  terrace  by  my  cansama,  and  I  asked  to  have  the 
blows  struck  upon  the  vase  so  as  to  accompany  any  air 
which  the  instrument  might  perform. 

I  then  wound  up  the  box  in  the  usual  way,  and  pressed 
the  spring  of  the  clock-work,  without  knowing  what  air  it 
would  play.  A  regular  whirlwind  of  notes  was  the  result, 
and  the  box  played,  in  time  designedly  accelerated,  no 
doubt,  the  tune  of  "  Eobin  of  the  Wood." 


232  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

I  listened  in  the  direction  of  the  vase,  and  quick,  sharp 
strokes  accompanied  the  tune,  with  the  regularity  of  the 
baton  of  an  orchestra  leader.  The  air  had  scarcely  finished 
when  I  again  pressed  the  spring,  and  the  blows  moder- 
ated their  pace  to  keep  time  to  the  march  from  the 
Prophete,  which  they  accompanied  exactly. 

All  this  was  done  without  fuss,  or  parade,  or  mystery 
of  any  kind,  upon  a  terrace  of  a  few  yards  square.  The 
vase  thus  put  in  motion,  could  hardly,  when  empty, 
have  been  moved  by  two  men.  It  was  hollowed  out  like 
a  cup,  and  was  so  situated  as  to  receive  the  falling  jet  of 
water  from  the  fountain  before  spoken  of.  It  was  used 
for  the  morning  ablutions,  which,  in  India,  are  almost 
equal  to  a  regular  bath. 

What  was  the  force  that  moved  this  mass  ?  that  is  the 
question. 

I  repeated  these  various  experiments  a  second  time,  and 
they  were  renewed  with  like  order  and  regularity. 

The  Fakir,  who  had  neither  changed  his  position,  nor 
left  his  place,  then  stood  up,  and  rested  the  tips  of  his 
fingers,  for  a  short  time,  upon  the  edge  of  the  vase.  It 
soon  began  to  rock  to  and  fro  in  regular  time,  from  left  to 
right,  gradually  accelerating  its  speed ;  its  base,  which  rose 
and  fell  alternately  on  either  side,  made  no  sound  upon 
the  stuccoed  pavement. 

But  what  surprised  me  most  was  to  see  that  the  water 
remained  stationary  in  the  vase,  as  if  there  were  a  strong 
pressure  that  prevented  its  regaining  its  equilibrium, 
which  the  motion  of  the  vessel  containing  it  had  disturbed. 

Three  times  during  these  oscillations  the  vase  rose  a 
distance  of  seven  to  eight  inches  completely  from  the 
ground,  and,  when  it  fell  to  the  pavement  again,  it  did  so 
without  any  perceptible  shock. 

The  performance  had  already  lasted  several  hours,  dur- 
ing which  I  had  taken  copious  and  careful  notes,  and  had 
also  taken  the  precaution  to  have  each  phenomenon  re 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  233 

peated  in  a  different  manner,  when  the  sun,  which  was 
sinking  below  the  horizon,  warned  us  that  it  was  time  for 
me  to  commence  my  usual  excursion  among  the  venerable 
monuments  and  ruins  of  ancient  Kassy,  which  was  the 
centre  of  the  religious  power  of  the  Brahmins  when,  after 
their  contest  with  the  rajahs,  they  had  lost  their  temporal 
power — as  well  as  for  the  Fakir  to  prepare  himself  in  the 
temple  of  Siva,  by  the  usual  prayers,  for  the  ablutions  and 
funeral  ceremonies  which  he  was  obliged  to  perform 
every  evening,  upon  the  banks  of  the  sacred  river. 

Upon  taking  his  departure  the  Fakir  promised  to  re- 
turn every  day,  at  the  same  hour,  as  long  as  he  should  re- 
main at  Benares. 

The  poor  man  was  very  glad  to  have  met  me.  I  had 
resided  for  many  years  in  the  south  of  India,  and  knew 
the  beautiful  and  sonorous  language  of  the  country  of 
Bravida,1  which  no  one  else  understood  at  Benares.  He 
had  now  some  one  to  talk  to  about  this  wonderful  land 
and  its  ancient  ruins,  its  old  pagodas  and  their  incompar- 
able vegetation,  and  its  manuscripts,  written  with  a  pointed 
stick  centuries  before  the  sea  had  abandoned  the  salt  des- 
erts of  Iran  and  Chaldea,  or  the  mud  deposits  of  the  Nile 
had  joined  Lower  Egypt  to  the  plains  of  Memphis  and 
Thebes. 

1  The  Tamoul. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  WATEB-SPOUT THE  MAGIC  STICK. 

Covindasamy  was  punctual  in  the  performance  of  his 
engagement. 

Gazing  at  the  extraordinary  flood  of  light  which  the 
sun  poured  upon  the  surface  of  the  Ganges  as  it  rolled  by, 
I  stood  absorbed  in  silent  contemplation  of  the  magnifi- 
cent spectacle  before  me,  when  the  Fakir,  lifting  one  of 
the  curtains  which  hung  before  the  door  leading  into  the 
verandah,  walked  in  and  sat  upon  the  floor  with  his  legs 
bent  under  him  after  the  Hindu  manner. 

"  Salam  bere "  (good  day,  sahib),  said  he,  using  his 
mother  tongue. 

"Salam  tambi"  (good  day,  friend),  replied  I,  in  the  same 
idiom,  "is  the  Bengal  rice  equal  to  the  rice  of  Tandjaor  ? " 

"  The  rice  served  to  me  in  the  Peishwa's  palace  at  Be- 
nares is  not  equal  to  that  which  I  gather  about  my  hut  at 
Trivanderam." 

"  What  is  the  matter  with  it  ?  is  not  the  curry  seed  as 
pure  upon  the  banks  of  the  Ganges  as  upon  the  Malabar 
coast?" 

"  Listen !  the  cocoa-tree  does  not  grow  here  and  the 
water  of  the  sacred  river  cannot  take  the  place  of  the  salt 
water.  I  am  a  man  of  the  coast,  as  there  is  a  tree  of  the 
coast,  and  we  both  of  us  die  when  we  are  separated  from 
the  ocean." 

Just  then  a  slight  southern  breeze  like  escaping  steam 
swept  in  warm  gusts  over  the  drowsy  city  slumbering  in 
the  noon-day  heat.  The  Fakir's  eyes  glistened. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  235* 

"  It  comes  from  my  old  home,"  said  he,  "  do  you  not 
feel  it  ?  it  brings  to  my  mind  so  many  recollections." 

He  sat  a  long  while,  thinking,  no  doubt,  of  the  wide, 
gloomy  forests  on  the  Malabar  coast,  where  he  had  passed 
his  childhood,  and  of  the  mysterious  caves  of  the  pagoda 
at  Trivanderam,  where  the  Brahmins  had  instructed  him 
in  the  art  of  evocation. 

Suddenly  he  arose  and  walked  toward  the  bronze  vase 
which  he  had  used  the  day  before  for  the  purpose  of  ex- 
hibiting his  power.  He  imposed  his  hands  upon  the  surface 
of  the  water  which  filled  it  to  the  very  edge,  but  he  did 
not  touch  it,  however,  and  stood  motionless  in  that  position. 
As  yet  I  had  no  idea  of  the  phenomena  that  he  intended 
to  perform. 

I  do  not  know  that  he  experienced  any  unusual  diffi- 
culty on  that  day,  but  an  hour  had  elapsed  before  either 
the  water  or  the  vase  exhibited  any  evidence  whatever  of 
action  on  his  part. 

I  had  begun  to  despair  of  obtaining  any  result  on  that 
occasion,  when  the  water  began  to  be  gently  agitated.  It 
looked  as  though  its  surface  were  ruffled  by  a  slight  breeze. 
Placing  my  hands  upon  the  edge  of  the  vase  I  experienced 
a  slight  feeling  of  coolness,  which  apparently  arose  from 
the  same  cause.  A  rose-leaf,  thrown  into  the  water,  soon 
was  blown  or  drifted  against  the  other  edge. 

Meanwhile  the  Fakir  stood  motionless.  His  mouth  was 
closed,  and,  strange  to  say,  though  it  effectually  disposed 
of  any  idea  of  trickery  on  his  part,  the  waves  were  formed 
on  the  opposite  side  from  that  of  the  performer  and  gently 
broke  against  the  edge  of  the  vase  on  his  side. 

Gradually  the  motion  of  the  waves  became  more  vio- 
lent. They  made  their  appearance  in  every  direction,  as 
though  the  water  were  in  a  state  of  intense  ebullition  un- 
der the  influence  of  a  great  heat.  It  soon  rose  higher 
than  the  Fakir's  hands,  and  several  waves  rose  to  a  height 
of  one  or  two  feet  from  the  surface. 


236  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

I  asked  Covindasamy  to  take  his  hands  away.  Upon 
their  removal  the  motion  of  the  water  gradually  abated, 
without  ceasing  altogether,  as  in  the  case  of  boiling  water 
from  which  the  fire  has  been  removed.  On  the  other 
hand,  whenever  he  placed  his  hands  in  their  former  posi- 
tion, the  motion  of  the  water  was  as  great  as  ever. 

The  last  portion  of  the  seance  was  still  more  extraordi- 
nary. 

The  Hindu  asked  me  to  lend  him  a  small  stick.  I 
handed  him  a  wooden  lead-pencil  that  had  never  been 
sharpened.  He  placed  it  in  the  water,  and  in  a  few  min- 
utes, by  the  imposition  of  his  hands,  he  made  it  move  in 
every  direction,  like  a  magnet  in  contact  with  an  iron  bar. 

Placing  his  forefinger  gently  upon  the  middle  of  the 
pencil,  so  as  not  to  affect  its  position  upon  the  water,  in  a 
few  minutes  I  saw  the  small  piece  of  wood  slowly  descend 
beneath  the  surface,  until  it  had  reached  the  bottom  of 
the  vase. 

Laying  aside  the  question  of  skill  or  deception  on  the 
performer's  part,  without  doing  which  it  is  impossible  for 
me  to  make  any  positive  statement  either  one  way  or  the 
other,  although  under  the  circumstances  it  would  have 
been  extremely  difficult  for  any  attempt  at  imposture  to 
Jiave  escaped  my  attention,  it  occurred  to  me  that  the 
Fakir,  upon  charging  the  small  piece  of  wood  with  fluid, 
•might  perhaps  have  increased  its  weight,  so  as  to  make  it 
heavier  than  water. 

Though  deeply  sceptical  with  regard  to  spirits,  I  often 
wondered,  whenever  I  saw  an  experiment  of  this  kind, 
whether  or  not  some  natural  force  had  not  been  brought 
into  play,  with  which  we  were  totally  unacquainted. 

I  merely  state  the  facts  without  further  comment. 


CHAPTER  YIL 

PHENOMENA  OF  ELEVATION  AND  KNOCKING. 

The  Fakir's  third  visit  was  short,  as  he  was  to  pass  the 
night  in  prayer  upon  the  banks  of  the  sacred  river,  upon 
the  occasion  of  a  religious  festival,  and  he  had  been  invited 
to  a  funeral  sraddha,  which  was  to  take  place  on  the  fol- 
lowing day. 

He  came  merely  to  inform  me  that  he  would  be  obliged 
to  attend  them,  and  was  preparing  to  return  to  the  small 
hut  that  the  Peishwa  had  given  him  the  use  of,  when,  at 
my  request,  he  consented  to  perform  a  phenomenon  of 
elevation,  which  I  had  already  seen  other  performers  suc- 
cessfully accomplish,  without,  however,  taking  any  partic- 
ular notice  of  how  they  did  it. 

Taking  an  ironwood  cane  which  I  had  brought  from 
Ceylon,  he  leaned  heavily  upon  it,  resting  his  right  hand 
upon  the  handle,  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  ground. 
He  then  proceeded  to  utter  the  appropriate  incantations, 
which  he  had  forgotten  to  favor  me  with  the  day  previous. 

From  the  elaborate  preparation  he  made  in  my  presence, 
I  formed  the  opinion  that  this  was  to  be  only  another  in- 
stance of  what  I  had  always  regarded  as  an  acrobatic 
trick. 

My  judgment  refuses,  in  fact,  to  attach  any  other  name 
to  such  phenomena  as  this : 

Leaning  upon  the  cane  with  one  hand,  the  Fakir  rose 
gradually  about  two  feet  from  the  ground.  His  legs  were 
crossed  beneath  him,  and  he  made  no  change  in  his  posi- 
tion, which  was  very  like  that  of  those  bronze  statues  of 


238  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

Buddha  that  all  tourists  bring  from  the  far  East,  without 
.a  suspicion  that  most  of  them  come  originally  from  English 
foundries. 

For  more  than  twenty  minutes  I  tried  to  see  how  Co- 
vindasamy  could  thus  fly  in  the  face  and  eyes  of  all  the 
known  laws  of  gravity  ;  it  was  entirely  beyond  my  com- 
prehension ;  the  stick  gave  him  no  visible  support,  and 
there  was  no  apparent  contact  between  that  and  his  body, 
except  through  his  right  hand. 

"When  I  dismissed  him  he  informed  me,  upon  leaving, 
that  when  the  sacred  elephants  should  strike  the  hour  of 
midnight  upon  the  copper  gong  in  the  pagoda  of  Siva,  he 
would  evoke  the  familiar  spirits  that  protect  the  Franguys 
(or  French),  who  would  then  manifest  their  presence  in 
some  manner  in  my  bedroom. 

The  Hindus  have  a  perfect  understanding  among  them- 
selves. In  order  to  prevent  any  too  obvious  fraud,  I  sent 
my  two  servants  to  pass  the  night  upon  the  dingui  with 
the  cercar  and  boatmen.  The  idea  of  the  supernatural 
was  naturally  repugnant  to  my  mind.  My  leanings  were 
all  the  other  way,  but  if  the  fact  should  occur  as  he  pre- 
dicted, I  did  not  want  to  be  too  easily  duped.  For  that  rea- 
son I  prepared  to  throw  every  obstacle  in  the  Fakir's  way. 

The  Peishwa's  house  was  singularly  constructed ;  all  the 
windows  overlooked  the  Ganges,  and  it  contained  seven 
large  apartments,  one  above  the  other.  All  the  rooms  in 
each  apartment  opened  upon  covered  galleries  or  terraces 
projecting  over  the  quay.  The  mode  of  communication 
from  one  story  to  another  was  very  curious.  There  was  a 
single  flight  of  steps  which  led  from  the  bottom  apartment 
to  that  immediately  above.  Upon  crossing  this  second 
apartment,  in  the  last  room  was  a  second  flight  of  stairs 
-which  had  no  communication  with  the  former,  and  which 
led  to  the  story  above,  and  so  on  up  to  the  seventh  story, 
which  was  reached  by  means  of  a  movable  stairway  which 
'Could  be  raised  by  chains  like  a  drawbridge. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  239 

It  was  this  seventh  story,  which  was  furnished  in  a 
style  partly  Oriental  and  partly  European,  which  com- 
manded a  most  splendid  view  and  where  the  air  was  the 
coolest,  that  the  Peishwa  had  set  apart  for  his  foreign 


guests. 


As  soon  as  it  was  dark,  I  examined  all  the  different 
rooms  in  the  apartment,  in  the  most  careful  manner,  and 
made  sure  that  nobody  was  concealed  in  them.  I  then 
raised  the  drawbridge,  and  thus  cut  off  all  communication 
from  the  outside. 

At  the  hour  named  I  thought  I  heard  two  blows  dis- 
tinctly struck  against  the  wall  of  my  room.  I  walked 
toward  the  spot  from  which  the  sound  seemed  to  come, 
when  my  steps  were  suddenly  arrested  by  a  sharp  blow, 
which  appeared  to  proceed  from  the  glass  shade  that 
protected  the  hanging  lamp  against  gnats  and  night  but- 
terflies. A  few  more  sounds  were  heard  at  unequal  inter- 
vals in  the  cedar  rafters  of  the  ceiling,  and  that  was  all. 
I  walked  toward  the  end  of  the  terrace.  It  was  one  of 
those  silvery  nights,  unknown  in  our  more  foggy  lands. 
The  vast  flood  of  the  sacred  river  rolled  silently  along  at 
the  foot  of  the  sleeping  city,  upon  one  of  whose  steps  the 
outlines  of  a  human  form  were  dimly  profiled.  It  was  the 
Fakir  of  Trivanderam,  praying  for  the  repose  of  his  dead. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE    BAMBOO   STOOL — AERIAL   FLOWERS — THE   MYSTERIOUS 
PUNKAH. 

I  spent  a  part  of  the  night  in  reflection  upon  this  sub- 
ject, but  I  was  not  able  to  solve  the  riddle.  Since  I  had 
lived  in  India  I  had  often  seen  similar  phenomena  per- 
formed in  my  presence  by  others  and  I  was  able  to  bring 
a  multitude  of  other  facts  quite  as  wonderful  to  the 
support  of  what  was  said  and  done  by  the  Fakir  of  Tri- 
vanderam,  but  they  did  not  prove,  in  my  opinion,  the 
truth  of  the  theory  with  regard  to  the  evocation  of  the 
ancestral  shades.  What  I  beg  to  direct  the  reader's  atten- 
tion to,  more  particularly  because  it  is  strictly  true,  is  the 
fact  that  the  means  employed  to  produce  these  phenomena 
are  not  known  to  any  person  in  India  except  the  per- 
formers themselves. 

i  was  impatiently  expecting  the  Fakir's  arrival,  for  I 
had  long  intended  to  accompany  my  investigations  into  the 
ancient  doctrine  regarding  the  Fitris  with  an  inquiry  into 
the  material  phenomena  inseparably  connected,  in  the 
Hindu  mind,  with  their  religious  convictions.  The  willing- 
ness, added  to  the  skill,  of  Covindasamy  gave  me  an  op- 
portunity that  might  not  soon  occur  again  of  reviewing 
these  singular  facts,  which  seem  to  have  occupied  the 
minds  of  the  sacerdotal  classes  in  ancient  times  in  all 
their  leisure  moments,  and  which  had  been  repeated  in  my 
presence  more  than  a  hundred  times  before.  I  spent  a 
portion  of  the  day  in  visiting  the  temples  and  mosques  of 
Benares,  and  I  did  not  not  return  to  the  palace  until  sunset. 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  241 

It  was  night,  and  I  was  waiting  for  the  Fakir  upon  the 
terrace  when  he  walked  quietly  in.  People  of  that  class 
have  the  privilege  of  entering  the  presence  of  the  highest 
personages  in  Hindustan  at  any  time,  without  previous 
announcement,  and  although  they  seldom  make  use  of  the 
privilege  in  the  case  of  Europeans,  I  had,  in  the  beginning 
of  our  acquaintance,  allowed  Covindasmy  to  do  as  he 
pleased.  This,  added  to  my  knowledge  of  his  native 
tongue,  had  made  him  very  friendly. 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  as  soon  as  I  perceived  his  entrance, 
"  the  sounds  were  heard  as  you  predicted ;  the  Fakir  is 
very  skilful." 

"  The  Fakir  is  nothing,''  he  answered,  with  the  utmost 
coolness.  "  He  utters  the  proper  mentrams  and  the  spirits 
hear  them.  It  was  the  ancestral  shades  of  the  Franguy 
who  paid  him  a  visit." 

"  Have  you  power  over  the  spirits  of  foreigners  ?  " 

"  No  one  has  power  over  the  spirits." 

"  I  did  not  express  myself  properly.  How  does  it  hap- 
pen that  the  souls  of  the  Franguys  should  grant  the  re- 
quests of  a  Hindu  ?  They  do  not  belong  to  your  caste." 

"  There  are  no  castes  in  the  superior  world^" 

"  Then  it  was  my  ancestors  who  appeared  last  night  ?  " 

"  You  have  said  it." 

Such  was  his  invariable  answer. 

Whenever  I  questioned  him  upon  this  subject  I  care- 
fully watched  the  expression  of  his  face,  to  see  if  I  could 
detect  in  his  looks  a  smile  or  any  other  sign  of  incredulity, 
but  he  seemed  to  be  sincere,  and  his  face  was  calm  and 
impenetrable. 

Without  being  asked  to  do  so,  he  then  went  on  with  his 
performances. 

Taking  a  small  bamboo  stool  that  stood  near,  he  sat 
down  upon  it  in  the  Mussulman  style  with  his  legs  crossed 
beneath  him,  and  his  arms  folded  across  his  chest. 

According  to  my  instructions  to  my  cansama,  the  ter 
16 


242  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

race  had  been  lighted  d  giorno,  and  I  had  made  such  prep- 
arations that  nothing  that  occurred  could  possibly  escape 
my  attention. 

As  in  my  accounts  of  previous  performances,  I  omit  all 
the  elaborate  preparations  by  which  they  were  accom- 
panied, and  the  impression  made  upon  my  own  mind,  and 
confine  myself  strictly  to  what  is  essential. 

At  the  end  of  a  few  minutes,  during  which  he  appeared 
to  concentrate  his  attention  upon  the  bamboo  stool  upon 
which  he  was  sitting,  it  began  to  move  noiselessly  along 
the  floor,  by  short  jerks  which  made  it  advance  about 
three  or  four  inches  every  time.  I  watched  the  Hindu 
attentively,  but  he  was  as  still  and  motionless  as  a  statue. 

The  terrace  was  about  seven  yards  long  and  as  many 
wide.  It  took  about  ten  minutes  to  traverse  the  whole 
distance,  and  when  the  stool  had  arrived  at  the  end  it 
began  to  move  backward  until  it  returned  to  its  starting- 
place.  The  performance  was  repeated  three  times,  and 
always  successfully,  unless  the  conditions  were  changed. 
I  ought  to  say,  however,  that  the  Fakir's  legs,  which  were 
crossed  beneath  him,  were  distant  from  the  ground  the 
whole  height  of  the  stool. 

During  the  whole  day  the  heat  had  been  overpowering. 
The  night  breeze  which  springs  up  so  regularly  in  those  lati- 
tudes to  cool  the  heated  lungs,  and  which  blows  from  the 
Himalaya  Mountains,  had  not  yet  risen.  The  metor  was  mov- 
ing, as  fast  as  he  could,  by  the  aid  of  a  rope  of  cocoa  fibre 
above  our  heads,  an  enormous  punkah,  hanging  from  iron 
rods  in  the  middle  of  the  terrace,  which  also  supported 
horizontally  the  vetivert  curtains  and  surrounding  matting. 

The  punkah  is  a  sort  of  movable  fan  of  rectangular  form, 
which  is  fastened  at  both  ends  to  the  ceiling  of  the  room. 
Set  in  motion  by  a  servant  specially  engaged  for  that  pur- 
pose, it  imparts  a  factitious,  though  very  agreeable,  cool- 
ness to  the  atmosphere.  The  Fakir  made  use  of  this 
instrument  for  the  performance  of  the  second  phenomenon. 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  243 

Taking  the  punkah  rope  from  the  metor's  hands,  he 
pressed  it  against  his  forehead  with  both  hands,  and  sat 
down  in  a  squatting  position  beneath  the  punkah,  which 
soon  began  to  move  slowly  over  our  heads,  though  Covin- 
dasamy  had  not  made  the  slightest  motion.  It  gradually 
increased  its  speed  until  it  moved  at  a  very  rapid  rate, 
as  though  it  were  driven  by  some  invisible  hand. 

When  the  Fakir  let  go  of  the  rope  it  continued  to  move, 
though  at  a  gradually  diminishing  rate,  and  finally  stopped 
altogether. 

These  two  phenomena  were  repeated  several  times,  and 
it  was  now  quite  late  at  night,  but  the  Fakir  was  in  a  good 
humor,  and  before  leaving  he  determined  to  give  me  an- 
other proof  of  his  power. 

Three  vases  of  flowers,  so  heavy  that  none  but  a  strong 
man  could  have  lifted  them  (and  then  he  could  not  have 
done  so  without  an  effort),  stood  at  one  end  of  the  terrace. 
Selecting  one,  he  imposed  his  hands  upon  it  so  as  to  touch 
the  edge  of  the  vase  with  the  tips  of  his  fingers.  With- 
out any  apparent  effort  on  his  part  it  began  to  move  to 
and  fro  upon  its  base  as  regularly  as  the  pendulum  of  a 
clock.  It  soon  seemed  to  me  that  the  vase  had  left  the 
floor,  without  changing  its  movement  in  the  least  degree, 
and  it  appeared  to  me  to  be  floating  in  the  air,  going  from 
right  to  left  at  the  will  of  the  Fakir. 

I  do  not,  it  will  be  observed,  speak  of  this  phenomenon 
in  positive  terms,  for  I  have  always  regarded  it  as  caused 
by  an  illusion  of  the  senses.  To  be  candid,  I  must  ac- 
knowledge that  I  have  always  been  somewhat  sceptical 
with  regard  to  the  phenomena  performed  by  the  Fakirs, 
but  that  especially,  though  I  had  often  seen  it  performed 
under  circumstances  that  seemed  to  render  deception  im- 
possible, always  appeared  to  me  so  strange  that  I  was 
unable  to  resist  the  belief  that  some  imposition,  however 
-elaborate  or  skilful,  was  being  practised  upon  me. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  STATIONARY  TABLE A  SHOWER  OF    KNOCKS THE    LITTLE 

MILL FLYING   FEATHERS — THE   HARMONIFLTJTE. 

Covindasamy  had  only  three  days  more  to  stay  at  Be- 
nares. I  determined  to  devote  our  last  meeting  to  exper- 
iments in  magnetism  and  somnambulism.  When  I  in- 
formed him  of  my  intention  he  seemed  to  be  surprised  by 
these  novel  expressions,  though  I  translated  them  as  well 
as  I  could  into  the  Tamoul  language. 

When  I  had  made  him  understand  the  meaning  attached 
to  those  words  in  Europe,  he  smiled  and  answered,  in  his 
usual  way,  that  such  phenomena  were  also  produced  by 
the  Pitris,  in  addition  to  those  I  had  already  witnessed. 
It  was  not  possible  to  hold  any  discussion  with  him  upon 
that  point.  Without  regard  to  his  religious  opinions,  or 
to  the  causes  to  which  he  attributed  his  power,  I  merely 
asked  him  if  he  was  willing  to  take  part  in  experiments  of 
that  character. 

"  The  Franguy,"  he  answered,  "  has  spoken  to  the 
Fakir  in  his  native  language.  The  Fakir  can  refuse  him 
nothing." 

Seeing  that  his  reply  was  so  satisfactory  in  this  respect, 
I  was  encouraged  to  make  another  request. 

"  Will  you  allow  me  to-day,"  said  I,  "  to  indicate  the 
phenomena  that  I  wish  you  to  perform,  instead  of  leaving 
them  to  you  ? " 

Although  it  seems  highly  improbable,  in  view  of  the 
peculiar  circumstances  of  their  occurrence,  that  the  Fakir 
should  have  made  any  preparations  in  advance  for  the 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  245 

performances  which  I  have  already  described,  or  should 
have  had  any  previous  understanding  with  the  servants,  I 
was  anxious,  however,  to  ascertain  whether  Covindasamy 
would  be  able  to  produce  any  manifestations  that  he  had 
no  previous  notice  of. 

"  I  will  do  as  you  please,"  said  the  Hindu,  simply. 
This  plan  however,  met  the  fate  of  many  others.  I  spent 
ao  much  time,  and  took  so  deep  an  interest  in  the  Fakir's 
manifestations  of  spiritual  force,  that  I  had  no  opportu- 
nity to  investigate  the  subject  of  his  magnetic  power. 

I  had  often  seen  the  performing  Fakirs  attach  different 
objects  to  the  ground,  either,  according  to  the  explanation 
given  me  by  an  English  major  who  had  devoted  much 
time  and  thought  to  questions  of  this  class,  by  charging 
them  with  fluid  in  order  to  augment  their  specific  gravity 
or  in  some  other  manner  unknown  to  me.  I  determined 
to  repeat  the  experiment.  Taking  a  small  stand  of  teak 
wood  which  I  could  lift  without  any  effort  with  my  thumb 
and  forefinger,  I  placed  it  in  the  middle  of  the  terrace, 
and  asked  the  Fakir  if  he  could  not  fix  it  there  so  that  it 
could  not  be  moved. 

The  Fakir,  without  the  slightest  hesitation,  walked  to- 
ward the  small  piece  of  furniture,  and  imposing  both  hands 
upon  the  top  stood  motionless  in  that  position  for  nearly  a 
quarter  of  an  hour,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  said  to 
me,  smiling : 

The  spirits  have  come  and  nobody  can  remove  the  table 
without  their  permission. 

Feeling  somewhat  incredulous,  I  approached  the  table 
and  took  hold  of  it,  as  though  I  were  going  to  lift  it.  It 
would  not  stir  from  the  ground  any  more  than  if  it  had 
been  sealed.  I  struggled  harder,  with  the  result  that  the 
fragile  leaf  there  fastened  came  off  in  my  hands. 

I  then  took  hold  of  the  legs,  which  were  united  by  a 
cross  brace  and  which  remained  standing,  but  the  result 
was  the  same.  A  thought  then  crossed  my  mind. 


246  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

Suppose,  thought  I,  that  these  phenomena  are  produced 
by  the  Fakir's  charging  objects  with  some  kind  of  fluid, 
and  that  a  natural  force  is  thus  developed  the  laws  of 
which  we  are  as  yet  ignorant  of,  the  supply  of  fluid 
with  which  they  are  charged  must  gradually  lose  its  effi- 
cacy unless  renewed  by  the  operator,  and  in  that  case  I 
shall  soon  be  able  to  remove  what  is  left  of  the  table  with- 
out any  difficulty. 

I  asked  the  Fakir  to  go  to  the  other  end  of  the  terrace, 
which  he  did  with  the  utmost  good  humor  imaginable.  At 
the  end  of  a  few  minutes  I  was  able  to  handle  the  stand 
without  any  trouble  whatever.  It  was  evident,  therefore, 
that  there  was  a  force  of  some  kind  or  other  ;  there  was 
no  other  alternative  unless  I  was  willing  to  admit  that  I 
had  been  egregiously  imposed  upon,  which  would  have 
been  impossible,  under  the  circumstances. 

I  should  have  had  to  devote  some  months  to  this  experi- 
ment alone,  if  I  had  desired  to  test  it  scientifically.  I  had 
not  sufficient  time  at  my  disposal  to  do  so,  and  I  merely 
describe  it  now,  like  all  the  rest,  without  expressing  an 
opinion  either  one  way  or  the  other,  as  to  means  employed 
or  the  cause  thereof. 

"  The  Pitris  have  departed,"  said  the  Hindu,  in  expla- 
nation, "  because  their  means  of  terrestrial  communication 
was  broken.  Listen!  they  are  coming  back  again." 

As  he  uttered  these  words,  he  imposed  his  hands  above 
one  of  those  immense  copper  platters  inlaid  with  silver 
such  as  are  used  by  wealthy  natives  for  dice  playing,  and 
almost  immediately  there  ensued  such  a  rapid  and  vio- 
lent succession  of  blows  or  knocks  that  it  might  have 
been  taken  for  a  hail-shower  upon  a  metal  roof,  and  I 
thought  I  saw  (the  reader  will  observe  that  I  do  not 
express  myself  positively  in  this  respect)  a  succession  of 
phosphorescent  lights  (plain  enough  to  be  visible  in 
broad  daylight)  pass  to  and  fro  across  the  platter  in  every 
direction. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  247 

This  phenomenon  ceased  or  was  repeated  at  the  Fakir's 
pleasure. 

I  have  already  remarked  that  the  apartments  I  occupied  at 
the  Peishwa's  were  furnished  partly  in  the  European  and 
partly  in  the  Oriental  style.  There  was  a  multitude  of  fancy 
articles  upon  the  etageres,  such  as  windmills  setting  black- 
smiths in  motion,  tin  soldiers,  and  wooden  houses  from  Nu- 
remberg with  those  everlasting  little  green  fir  trees,  from 
which  many  children  obtain  their  earliest  ideas  of  nature. 
The  furniture  was  all  cluttered  up  with  objects  of  this  na- 
ture ;  the  most  childish  articles  were  mingled  pell-mell 
with  the  most  artistic,  according  to  the  fancies  of  the  na- 
tive servants.  We  need  not  laugh,  however  ;  a  native  of 
those  countries  could  not  look  at  three-quarters  of  the  Chi- 
nese, Hindu,  or  Oceanic  objects  with  which  we  proudly 
and  ostentatiously  decorate  our  dwellings,  and  keep  a  sober 
face.  I  bethought  myself  of  a  small  mill  which  might  be 
moved  by  a  breath,  which  set  several  personages  in  mo- 
tion. I  pointed  it  out  to  Covindasamy  and  asked  him  if 
he  could  make  it  go  without  touching  it. 

In  consequence  of  the  imposition  of  his  hands  alone  he 
set  the  mill  in  motion  with  great  rapidity,  at  a  rate 
which  increased  or  diminished  according  to  the  distance 
at  which  the  Fakir  stood. 

This  was  a  very  simple  fact,  but  yet  it  made  a  great  im- 
pression upon  my  mind,  by  reason  of  the  improbability  of 
any  previous  notice  or  preparation. 

The  following  is  another  of  the  same  character,  but 
much  more  surprising. 

Among  the  objects  that  composed  the  Peishwa's  mu- 
seum was  a  harmoniflute.  By  the  aid  of  a  small  cord 
tied  around  the  wooden  square  forming  a  portion  of  the 
bellows  (a  part  of  the  instrument  which,  as  everybody 
knows,  is  on  the  side  opposite  to  that  of  the  keys)  I  hung 
it  from  one  of  the  iron  bars  of  the  terrace,  in  such  a  way 
that  it  swung  in  the  air  at  about  two  feet  from  the  ground, 


248  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

and  I  asked  the  Fakir  if  he  could  make  it  play  without 
touching  it. 

Complying  unhesitatingly  with  my  request,  he  seized 
the  cord  by  which  the  harmoniflute  was  suspended,  be- 
tween the  thumb  and  forefinger  of  each  hand  and  stood 
perfectly  motionless  and  still.  The  harmoniflute  soon 
began  to  be  gently  stirred,  the  bellows  underwent  an  al- 
ternate movement  of  contraction  and  inflation,  as  though 
proceeding  from  some  invisible  hand,  and  the  instrument 
emitted  sounds  which  were  perfectly  plain  and  distinct, 
though  of  unusual  length  and  not  very  harmonious  it  is  true. 

"  Cannot  you  get  a  tune  ?  "  said  I  to  Covindasamy. 

"  I  will  evoke  the  spirit  of  one  of  the  old  pagoda  mu- 
sicians," he  answered  with  the  greatest  gravity. 

I  waited  patiently. 

The  instrument  had  been  silent  a  long  while,  not  having 
made  a  sound  since  my  request.  It  now  began  to  move 
anew  and  first  played  a  series  of  notes  or  chords  like  a 
prelude  ;  it  then  bravely  attacked  one  of  the  most  popular 
airs  on  the  Malabar  coast. 

Taitou  moucouty  conda 
Aroune  cany  pomele,  etc. 

("  Bring  jewels  for  the  young  maiden  of  Aroune*,  etc.) 

As  long  as  the  piece  lasted  the  Fakir  stood  perfectly 
still.  He  merely  had  hold,  as  I  have  already  described, 
of  the  cord  by  which  he  was  in  communication  with  the 
harmoniflute. 

Wishing  to  apply  every  test  in  my  power,  I  kneeled 
down  in  order  to  observe  the  various  movements  of  the 
instrument,  and  I  saw,  so  that  I  am  positively  sure  of 
what  I  say,  unless  I  was  misled  by  an  illusion  of  the 
senses,  the  upward  and  downward  motion  of  the  keys, 
according  to  the  requirements  of  the  tune. 

As  before,  I  merely  state  the  fact,  and  leave  the  reader 
to  draw  his  own  conclusions. 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  249 

Suppose  that  there  was  no  illusion  of  the  senses  and  no 
imposture  used  in  the  production  of  these  manifestations 
— shall  we,  in  that  case,  investigate  their  laws  ? 

No !  say  the  French  scientists,  who  occupy  an  official 
station,  d  priori  such  folly  is  not  worthy  of  an  investiga- 
tion. 

Yes !  answer  the  scientists  of  England,  who  are  not  less 
dignified,  we  have  ascertained  material  facts,  which  are 
free  from  the  suspicion  of  illusion  or  imposture.  We  are 
bound  in  honor  to  ascertain  their  laws  and  proclaim  the  truth. 

Such  is  the  state  of  the  question. 

On  the  one  hand,  negation  under  any  circumstances ;  on 
the  other,  further  investigation. 

Our  French  savants — to  call  them  by  the  name  which 
they  use  among  themselves — have  never  lost  sight,  as  we 
see,  of  the  traditions  which  have  led  to  the  rejection  of  all 
the  great  inventions  by  which  the  present  century  has 
been  distinguished. 

I  have  not  taken  a  very  active  part  in  the  discussion 
and  that  for  an  obvious  reason.  Anybody  might  say  to 
me,  if  I  attempted  to  formulate  a  law  governing  the  facts 
which  have  come  under  my  own  observation  : 

Have  you  experimented  scientifically  regarding  all  the 
extraordinary  facts  described  as  having  been  performed 
by  the  Fakirs  ? 

As  I  have  had  manufactured  under  my  own  supervision 
neither  the  weights  nor  scales  nor  vases  nor  tables  nor 
any  of  the  instruments  used  by  the  Fakirs,  to  this  ques- 
tion I  am  bound  to  answer — scientifically  no ! 

But,  on  the  other  hand,  when  I  see  the  Fakirs  often 
using  articles  belonging  to  myself  and  most  frequently 
things  which,  in  all  probability,  they  had  never  seen  or 
touched  before,  I  say  with  Messrs  Crookes,  Huggins,  Cox, 
and  others — here  are  the  facts  for  your  investigation, 
science  should  know  the  grounds  upon  which  they  rest 
before  rejecting  or  accepting  them. 


250  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

At  sunset  Covindasamy  was  to  perform  his  devotions 
upon  the  banks  of  the  sacred  river.  It  was  near  that  hour 
now,  and  upon  taking  leave  of  ine  with  the  usual  salaama 
he  informed  me  that  he  could  not  come  the  next  day. 

As  I  expressed  my  regret,  he  answered  me : 

"  To-morrow  will  be  the  twenty -first  day  since  my  arrival 
at  Benares,  and  the  mortuary  ceremonies  will  then  be  con- 
cluded." The  Fakir  was  to  remain  at  prayer  from  one 
sunrise  to  another — a  period  of  twenty -four  hours.  When 
his  task  was  accomplished,  and  previous  to  his  departure 
for  Trivanderam,  he  promised  to  give  me  an  entire  day 
and  night,  for,  said  he,  "  you  have  been  very  kind,  and 
with  you  I  could  speak  the  language  that  my  old  am  a 
(mother)  used  to  speak  when  she  rocked  me  to  sleep  in  a 
banana  leaf.  My  mouth  has  long  been  closed."  He  often 
recurred  to  this  subject,  and  always  seemed  much  moved 
when  he  spoke  of  it. 

I  have  never  known  a  Hindu  to  speak  of  his  mother 
without  emotion. 

As  he  was  about  stepping  across  the  threshold  of  the 
terrace  door  he  noticed  a  vase  containing  various  feathers,, 
taken  from  the  most  wonderful  birds  in  India.  He  took 
up  a  handful,  which  he  threw  above  his  head  high  in  the 
air.  The  feathers  of  course  descended  again  soon,  but  the 
Fakir  made  passes  beneath  them  as  they  fell,  and  whenever 
one  came  near  him,  it  turned  around  quickly  and  ascended 
again  with  a  spiral  movement,  until  stopped  by  the  veti- 
vert  carpet,  which  answered  the  purpose  of  a  movable  roof. 
They  all  went  in  the  same  direction,  but  after  a  moment, 
in  obedience  to  the  laws  of  gravity,  they  dropped  again, 
but  before  they  had  travelled  half  the  distance  to  the 
ground  they  resumed  their  ascending  movement  and 
were  stopped  as  before  by  the  matting,  where  they  re- 
mained. 

A  final  tremor  was  followed  by  a  slight  manifestation  of 
downward  tendency,  but  the  feathers  soon  remained  sta- 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  251 

tionary.  If  any  one  had  seen  them  standing  out  in  sharp- 
relief  against  the  golden  background  of  the  straw  matting, 
in  brilliant  and  decided  colors  of  every  possible  shade,  he 
would  have  said  that  they  were  placed  there  by  the  pencil 
of  some  accomplished  artist. 

As  soon  as  the  Fakir  had  disappeared  they  fell  flat  to 
the  ground.  I  left  them  a  long  while  as  they  lay  strewn 
upon  the  floor,  as  a  proof,  of  which  I  felt  the  need,  that  I 
had  not  been  misled  by  some  mental  hallucination. 

Night  had  no  sooner  come  with  its  refreshing  coolness, 
than  I  embarked  upon  the  dingui  which  lay  at  the  quay, 
and  ordered  the  cercar  to  let  the  boat  drift  down  the  river 
with  the  current.  Influenced,  in  spite  of  myself,  by  the 
incomprehensible  phenomena  which  I  had  just  witnessed,. 
I  felt  as  though  I  wanted  to  change  my  surroundings,  in- 
stead of  groping  my  way  dreamily  among  the  metaphys- 
ical speculations  of  the  past.  I  also  felt  the  need  of  the 
pleasanter  sensations  always  accompanying  a  night  upon 
the  Ganges,  soothed  by  the  song  of  the  Hindu  boatmen, 
and  the  distant  cry  of  savage  beasts. 


CHAPTER  X. 

•SAND   DRAWING THE   METOR   AND   THE   BUCKET   OF  WATER — 

LOSS   OF   VOICE MIND   READING READING   IN   A  CLOSED 

BOOK AERIAL    MELODY THE  FLYING  PALM-LEAF ELE- 
VATION   OF   THE   FAKIR. 

Covindasamy  had  promised  me  that  before  he  left  to 
return  to  Trivanderam  he  would  employ  all  the  power  at 
his  command,  or,  to  use  an  expression  for  which  he  alone 
is  responsible,  he  would  appeal  to  all  the  Pitris  who  as- 
sisted him,  and  would  show  me  something  wonderful  that 
I  would  never  forget. 

On  the  day  in  question  we  were  to  have  two  sittings, 
one  in  the  broad  light  of  day,  like  those  which  I  have 
previously  described,  and  one  at  night,  but  I  was  to  be 
free  to  illuminate  the  place  in  which  the  experiments  were 
to  be  held  as  much  as  I  pleased. 

The  gath  of  Siva  was  hardly  gilded  by  the  first  rays  of 
the  rising  sun  when  the  Hindu,  whose  mission  was  now 
at  an  end,  sent  in  his  name  by  my  cansama.  He  was 
afraid  that  he  would  find  me  asleep. 

"  Saranai-aya "  (greeting,  sahib),  said  he,  upon  enter- 
ing. To-morrow  is  the  day  of  the  Fakir's  return  to  the 
land  of  his  ancestors. 

"  My  best  wishes  will  accompany  you,"  answered  I. 
"  I  hope  that  you  will  find  that  your  abode  has  been  re- 
spected by  the  evil  spirits  during  your  absence." 

As  usual,  the  Fakir  made  no  attempt  to  continue  the 
conversation.  He  immediately  sat  down  upon  the  ground, 
after  the  ordinary  salutation,  and  lost  no  time  in  begin- 
ning his  performances. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

He  had  brought  with  him  a  small  bag  of  the  finest  sand, 
which  he  proceeded  to  empty  upon  the  floor  and  level 
with  his  hand,  in  such  a  way  as  to  form  a  surface  of  about 
half  a  square  yard. 

When  he  had  done  this,  he  asked  me  to  sit  at  a  table 
opposite  him,  with  a  sheet  of  paper  and  a  pencil. 

Having  asked  for  a  small  piece  of  wood,  I  threw  him 
the  handle  of  a  penholder,  which  he  gently  placed  upon 
the  bed  of  sand. 

"  Listen  ! "  said  he.  "  I  am  about  to  evoke  the  Pitris. 
When  you  see  the  article  which  you  have  just  given  me 
stand  upright,  one  end  only  being  in  contact  with  the 
ground,  you  are  at  liberty  to  trace  upon  the  paper  any 
figures  you  please,  and  you  will  see  an  exact  copy  of  them 
in  the  sand." 

He  then  extended  both  hands  before  him  horizontally, 
and  proceeded  to  repeat  the  sacred  formulas  of  evoca- 
tion. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  wooden  rod  gradually  rose  as  he 
had  said,  and  at  the  same  moment  I  proceeded  to  move 
my  pencil  over  the  sheet  of  paper  before  me,  tracing  the 
strangest  figures  in  the  world  entirely  at  random.  The 
piece  of  wood  at  once  imitated  every  motion,  and  I  saw 
the  whimsical  figures  that  I  had  been  tracing  appear  suc- 
cessively in  the  sand. 

When  I  stopped,  the  improvised  pencil  stopped — when 
I  went  on,  it  followed  me. 

The  Fakir  had  not  changed  his  position,  and  there  was 
no  apparent  contact  between  him  and  the  piece  of  wood. 

Wishing  to  know  whether  he  could  see,  from  his  posi- 
tion, the  movements  of  the  pencil,  as  I  drew  it  over  the 
sheet  of  paper,  which  however  would  not  have  explained 
how  he  could  transfer  the  figures  without  being  in  con- 
tact with  the  sand  upon  which  they  appeared,  I  left  the 
table,  and  placing  myself  in  an  identically  similar  position 
to  that  of  Covindasamy,  I  was  able  to  satisfy  myself  that 


254  OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

it  was  totally  impossible  for  him  to  ascertain  what  I  was 
-doing. 

I  then  compared  the  figures  with  each  other,  and  I 
found  that  they  were  exactly  alike. 

Having  levelled  the  sand  again,  the  Fakir  said  to  me : 

"  Think  of  a  word  in  the  language  of  the  gods  " — the 
Sanscrit. 

"  Why  that  language  particularly  ?  "  I  answered. 

"Because  the  Pitris  use  that  immortal  medium  of 
speech  more  easily  than  any  other.  The  impure  are  not 
allowed  to  use  it." 

I  was  not  in  the  habit  of  disputing  his  religious  convic- 
tions, and  therefore  said  nothing. 

The  Hindu  then  extended  his  hands  as  before.  The 
magic  pencil  began  to  move,  and,  gradually  rising,  wrote 
.unhesitatingly  the  following  word  : 

Pouroucha  ! 
(The  celestial  generator). 

That  was  actually  the  word  that  I  had  thought  of. 

"  Think  of  a  whole  phrase,"  continued  the  Fakir. 

"  I  have  done  so,"  I  answered. 

The  pencil  then  wrote  upon  the  sand  the  following 

>rds: 

Adicete  VeiJcountam  Haris  ! 
(Yischnou  sleeps  upon  Mount  Eikonta). 

"  Can  the  spirit  by  whom  you  are*  inspired  give  me  the 
243d  sloca  of  the  fourth  book  of  Manu  ? "  inquired  I  of 
Covindasamy. 

I  had  hardly  expressed  the  wish,  when  the  pencil  pro- 
ceeded to  gratify  it,  and  wrote  the  following  words  one 
after  the  other,  letter  by  letter,  before  my  eyes  : 

Darma/prdddnam  pouroucham   tapasa?  hatakilvisam 
paralokam  nayaty  d^ou  Msouantam  Kaqaririnam. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  255 

The  following  is  a  translation  of  this  remarkable  stanza, 
which  was  correctly  given  as  indicated  : 


"  The  man,  the  end  of  all  whose  actions  is  virtue,  and 
all  whose  sins  are  wiped  out  by  acts  of  piety  and  sacrifices, 
reaches  the  celestial  mansions,  radiant  with  light  and 
clothed  with  a  spiritual  form." 

Finally,  as  a  last  experiment,  placing  my  hands  upon  a 
closed  book  containing  extracts  from  hymns  in  the  Kig- 
Yeda,  I  asked  for  the  first  word  of  the  fifth  line  of  the 
twenty-first  page.  I  received  the  following  answer : 

Devadatta. 
(Given  by  a  god.) 

Upon  comparison  I  found  it  to  be  correct. 
"  Will  you  now  put  a  mental  question  ?  "  said  the  Fakir. 
I  acquiesced  by  a  simple  movement  of  the  head,  and  the 
following  word  was  written  upon  the  sand : 

Vasundard. 
(The  Earth.) 

I  had  asked,  "  Who  is  our  common  mother  ? " 
I  have  no  explanation  or  statement  to  make  with  regard 
to  these  facts. 

Whether  it  is  purely  a  matter  of  skill  or  whether  the 
performers  are  really  inspired — that  is  a  question  which  I 
do  not  undertake  to  decide.  I  only  describe  what  I  have 
seen  and  assert  that  the  circumstances  under  which  the 
facts  occurred  are  accurately  related.  Materially  speak- 
ing, I  do  not  think  it  possible  that  any  fraud  could  have 
been  committed. 


256  OCCULT  SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

The  first  part  of  this  sitting  was  somewhat  long.  I 
asked  the  Fakir  to  discontinue  his  performances  for  a  few 
minutes,  during  which  I  walked  to  the  end  of  the  terrace, 
whither  he  followed  me. 

It  might  have  been  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon. 

The  waters  of  the  Ganges  shone  like  a  mirror  in  the 
bright  light  of  a  hot  day.  Upon  our  left  lay  a  large  gar- 
den, in  the  midst  of  which  there  stood  a  well,  from  which 
a  metor  was  unconcernedly  drawing  water,  which  he 
poured  into  a  bamboo  pipe,  which  in  its  turn  supplied  a 
bathing-room. 

Covindasamy  imposed  his  hands  in  the  direction  of  the 
well,  and  the  result  was  that,  though  the  poor  metor  pulled 
upon  the  rope  with  all  his  might,  it  would  no  longer 
slip  through  the  pulley. 

When  a  Hindu  meets  with  any  impediment  in  his  work, 
he  at  once  attributes  any  obstacle  that  he  cannot  over- 
come to  evil  spirits,  and  immediately  proceeds  to  chant 
all  the  magical  incantations  with  which  he  is  acquainted, 
for  the  knowledge  of  which  he  has  often  paid  a  high 
price. 

The  poor  metor,  of  course,  could  not  let  slip  so  favora- 
ble an  opportunity  to  use  the  knowledge  he  had  obtained  ; 
but  he  had  hardly  chanted  a  few  words  in  that  sharp 
nasal  tone  which  is  so  lacerating  to  the  European  ear,  but 
which  is  inflicted  upon  it  everywhere  in  the  East,  and 
particularly  in  the  far  East,  in  the  name  of  music,  when 
his  voice  died  away  in  his  throat  and  he  found  it  impossi- 
ble, though  he  made  the  strangest  contortions,  to  articulate 
a  single  word. 

After  looking  at  this  curious  sight  for  a  few  moments, 
the  Fakir  dropped  his  hands  and  the  metor  recovered  the 
use  of  his  speech,  while  the  rope  performed  its  office  as 
before. 

Upon  returning  to  the  scene  of  our  late  experiments,  I 
found  the  heat  to  be  overpowering  and  so  remarked  to 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN   INDIA.  257 

the  Fakir,  who  did  not  seem  to  hear  me,  absorbed  as  he 
was,  apparently,  in  his  own  reflections.  I  had  forgotten  the 
remark  that  I  had  incidentally  let  drop,  when  one  of  those 
palm-leaf  fans  that  Hindu  servants  use  to  cool  the  air  in 
rooms  where  there  is  no  punkah,  flew  up  from  the  table, 
where  it  had  been  lying,  and  gently  fanned  my  face. 

I  observed  that,  although  it  moved  very  slowly,  the 
air  was  unusually  cool  and  refreshing.  At  the  same  time, 
the  atmosphere  seemed  to  be  filled  with  the  melodious 
sounds  of  a  human  voice,  which  had  nothing  Hindu  about  it, 
which  I  thought  I  heard,  like  those  faint  songs  that  hunts- 
men on  the  mountains  often  hear  rising  from  the  valleys 
at  twilight. 

The  palm  leaf  finally  returned  to  the  table  and  the 
sounds  ceased.  I  wondered  whether  there  had  not  been 
some  illusion  of  my  senses.  As  the  Fakir  was  about  to 
leave  me,  to  go  to  his  breakfast  and  obtain  a  few  hours 
rest,  of  which  he  stood  in  urgent  need,  having  had  no 
food  nor  sleep  for  the  last  twenty-four  hours,  he  stopped 
in  the  embrasure  of  the  door  leading  from  the  terrace  to 
the  outside  stairs,  and,  crossing  his  arms  upon  his  chest, 
lifted  himself  up  gradually,  without  any  apparent  support 
or  assistance,  to  the  height  of  about  ten  to  twelve  inches. 

I  was  able  to  determine  the  distance  exactly  by  means 
of  a  point  of  comparison  which  I  had  fixed  upon  during 
the  continuance  of  the  phenomenon.  Behind  the  Fakir's 
back  there  was  a  silken  hanging,  which  was  used  as  a  por-, 
tiere,  striped  in  gold  and  white  bands  of  equal  width.  1 
noticed  that  the  Fakir's  feet  were  on  a  level  with  the  sixth 
band.  At  the  commencement  of  his  ascension  I  had 
seized  my  chronometer;  the  entire  time  from  the  mo- 
ment when  the  Fakir  commenced  to  rise  until  he  touched 
the  ground  again,  was  more  than  eight  minutes.  He  re- 
mained perfectly  still,  at  the  highest  point  of  elevation  for 
nearly  five  minutes. 

As  Covindasamy  was  making  his  parting  salaam,  I  asked 
17 


258  OCCULT  SCIENCE   IN  INDIA. 

if  he  could  repeat  the  last  phenomenon  whenever  he 


"  The  Fakir,"  answered  he,  emphatically,  "  can  lift  him- 
self up  as  high  as  the  clouds." 

"  What  is  the  source  of  his  power  ? "  I  do  not  know 
why  I  asked  him  the  question,  as  he  had  already  told  me, 
more  than  twenty  times,  that  he  did  not  regard  himself  as 
anything  more  than  an  instrument  in  the  hands  of  the 
Pitris. 

He  answered  me  with  the  following  lines : 

Swddydye  nityayouktci?  sydt 
Amba/rdd  avatarati  deva\ 

"  He  should  be  in  constant  communication  with  heaven, 
and  a  superior  spirit  should  descend  therefrom." 


CHAPTER  XL 

SPONTANEOUS   VEGETATION. 

Hue,  the  missionary,  in  his  account  of  his  travels  in 
Thibet,  gives  a  description  of  a  phenomenon  similar  to 
that  which  I  am  about  to  relate,  and  which  I  can  only  look 
upon  as  a  cunning  trick. 

I  should  not  have  mentioned  it,  perhaps,  in  the  present 
work,  but  it  forms  an  essential  part,  so  to  speak,  of  the 
stock  in  trade  of  those  believers  in  the  Pitris,  who  deal 
more  particularly  in  external  manifestations,  and,  as  a 
faithful  historian,  I  am  loath  to  omit  any  of  their  curious 
practices. 

Among  the  extraordinary  claims  advanced  by  the  Fa- 
kirs, is  one  that  they  can  directly  influence  the  growth  of 
plants,  and  that  they  can  so  hasten  it  as  to  accomplish  in 
a  few  hours  what  usually  takes  several  months  or  even 
years. 

I  had  already  seen  this  phenomenon  performed  by  itin- 
erant magicians  a  number  of  times,  but,  as  I  had  always 
regarded  it  merely  as  a  successful  fraud,  I  had  omitted  to 
record  the  circumstances  under  which  it  occurred. 

Absurd  as  it  seemed,  as  Covindasamy,  who  was  really  a 
man  of  remarkable  power,  proposed  to  repeat  the  various 
phenomena  which  I  had  already  seen  performed  by  others 
at  different  times,  I  determined  to  watch  him  so  that  he 
could  do  nothing  which  should  escape  my  notice. 

He  had  promised  to  give  me  two  hours  more  of  his 
time — from  three  to  five — previous  to  the  night  sitting. 
I  determined  to  employ  them  as  proposed. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN  INDIA. 

The  Fakir  suspected  nothing,  and  I  thought  he  would 
be  highly  surprised  when,  upon  his  arrival,  I  told  him 
what  I  intended  to. 

"  I  am  entirely  at  your  service,"  said  he,  in  his  usual 
simple  way. 

I  was  somewhat  disconcerted  by  his  assurance,  but  I 
continued  : 

"Will  you  allow  me  to  choose  the  earth,  the  vessel,  and 
the  seed,  which  you  are  to  make  grow  before  my  eyes  ? " 

"  The  vessel  and  the  seed,  yes  ;  but  the  earth  must  be 
taken  from  a  nest  of  carias." 

These  little  white  ants,  who  build,  for  shelter,  small 
hills,  often  reaching  a  height  of  nine  or  a  dozen  yards,  are 
very  common  in  India,  and  there  was  no  difficulty,  what- 
ever, in  procuring  a  little  of  the  earth  which  they  pre- 
pare very  skilfully  for  their  purpose. 

I  told  my  cansama  to  have  a  flower-pot  of  the  usual  size 
filled  with  the  earth  required,  and  to  bring  me,  at  the 
same  time,  some  seeds  of  different  sorts. 

The  Fakir  asked  him  to  break  the  earth  between  a 
couple  of  stones,  as  it  was  only  to  be  obtained  in  pieces, 
almost  as  hard  as  old  building  material. 

It  was  well  he  did  so,  as  that  was  an  operation  that  we 
never  could  have  performed  in  our  rooms,  without  a  great 
deal  of  trouble. 

In  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  my  servant  had 
returned  with  the  articles  required.  I  took  them  from 
his  hands  and  dismissed  him,  not  wishing  to  leave  him  in 
communication  with  Covindasamy. 

To  the  latter  I  handed  the  flower-pot  filled  with  a  whitish 
earth,  which  must  have  been  entirely  saturated  with  that 
rnilky  fluid,  which  the  caria  secrete  and  deposit  upon  every 
particle  of  earth,  however  small,  which  they  use  for  build- 
ing purposes. 

When  the  Fakir  deemed  that  it  was  in  proper  condition, 
he  asked  me  to  give  him  the  seed  that  I  had  selected,  as 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  261 

well  as  about  a  foot  and  a  half  of  some  white  cloth.  I 
chose  at  random  a  papaw  seed  from  among  those  which 
my  cansama  had  brought,  and  before  handing  it  to  him,  I 
asked  him  if  he  would  allow  me  to  mark  it.  Being  an- 
swered in  the  affirmative,  I  made  a  slight  cut  in  its  outer 
skin.  It  was  very  much  like  the  kernel  of  a  gourd,  except 
in  color,  which  was  a  deep  brown.  I  gave  it  to  him,  with 
a  few  yards  of  mosquito  cloth. 

"  I  shall  soon  sleep  the  sleep  of  the  spirits,"  said  Covin- 
dasamy ;  "  you  must  promise  me  that  you  will  neither 
touch  me  personally  nor  the  flower-pot." 

I  made  the  promise  required. 

He  then  planted  the  seed  in  the  earth,  which  was  now 
in  a  state  of  liquid  mud,  thrusting  his  seven-knotted 
stick — which,  being  a  sign  of  his  initiation,  he  never  laid 
aside — into  one  corner  of  the  vessel,  and  using  it  as  a  prop 
to  hold  up  the  piece  of  muslin  which  I  had  just  given  him. 
After  hiding  from  sight  in  this  manner  the  object  upon 
which  he  was  to  operate,  he  sat  down  upon  the  floor, 
stretched  both  hands  horizontally  above  him,  and  grad- 
ually fell  into  a  deep  cataleptic  sleep. 

I  had  promised  that  I  would  not  touch  him,  and  at  first 
I  could  not  tell  whether  his  sleep  was  real  or  simulated  ; 
but  when  I  saw,  at  the  end  of  half  an  hour,  that  he  had 
not  stirred,  I  was  forced  to  believe  the  evidence  of  my 
own  senses.  No  man,  however  strong  he  might  be,  was 
able,  except  in  that  condition,  to  hold  both  his  arms 
stretched  horizontally  before  him  for  the  space  of  even 
ten  minutes. 

An  hour  passed  by,  and  no  motion  of  the  muscles  indi- 
cated that  he  was  alive.  "With  his  body  almost  entirely 
naked,  his  skin  polished  and  glistening  in  the  heat,  and 
open  and  staring  eyes,  the  Fakir  looke'd  like  a  bronze 
statue  in  a  position  of  mystical  evocation. 

At  first,  I  took  my  place  opposite  him,  so  that  I  could 
see  everything  that  was  going  on,  but  he  looked  at  me  in 


262  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

a  manner  that  soon  became  unendurable.  His  eyes  seemed 
to  be  half  dead,  but  they  were  filled  at  the  same  time  with 
magnetic  influences.  At  one  time,  everything  seemed  to 
be  in  a  whirl,  and  the  Fakir  himself  appeared  to  take 
part  in  the  dance  that  was  going  on  around  me.  In  or- 
der to  break  loose  from  the  effects  of  this  hallucination 
of  the  senses,  caused,  no  doubt,  by  looking  at  one  object 
too  attentively,  I  left  the  seat  that  I  had  been  occupying, 
without,  however,  losing  sight  of  Covindasamy,  who  was 
as  motionless  as  a  corpse.  I  took  a  seat  at  the  end  of  the 
terrace,  alternately  directing  my  attention  to  the  course  of 
the  Ganges  and  to  the  Fakir,  that  I  might  not  be  exposed 
to  too  direct  and  steady  an  influence  from  him. 

I  had  been  waiting  for  a  couple  of  hours,  and  the  sun 
was  fast  sinking  below  the  horizon,  when  a  low  sigh 
startled  me.  The  Fakir  had  recovered  possession  of  his 
senses. 

He  made  signs  to  me  to  approach.  Removing  the 
muslin  that  hid  the  flower-pot,  he  then  pointed  out  to  me 
a  young  stalk  of  papaw,  fresh  and  green,  and  nearly  eight 
inches  high. 

Anticipating  my  thoughts,  he  thrust  his  fingers  into  the 
ground,  which,  meanwhile,  had  parted  with  nearly  all  of 
its  moisture,  and  carefully  taking  up  the  young  plant,  he 
showed  me,  upon  one  of  the  two  cuticles  still  adhering  to 
the  roots,  the  cut  that  I  had  made  two  hours  previously. 

Was  it  the  same  seed  and  the  same  cut  ?  I  have  only 
one  answer  to  make.  I  noticed  no  substitution.  The 
Fakir  had  not  left  the  terrace ;  I  had  not  lost  sight  of  him. 
When  he  came,  he  did  not  know  what  I  was  going  to  ask. 
It  was  impossible  for  him  to  conceal  a  plant  in  his  clothes, 
as  he  was  almost  entirely  naked,  and,  at  any  rate,  he  could 
not  have  told,  in  advance,  that  I  would  select  a  papaw 
seed,  among  thirty  different  kinds  that  my  cansama  had 
brought. 

As  may  be  imagined,  I  can  state  nothing  more  positively 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  263 

regarding  a  fact  of  this  nature.  There  are  cases  where 
reason  refuses  its  assent,  even  in  view  of  phenomena  that 
can  only  be  accounted  for  upon  the  supposition  of  delu- 
sion, though  there  is  no  evidence  to  that  effect. 

After  enjoying  my  surprise  for  a  few  moments,  the 
Fakir  said  to  me,  with  an  ill-concealed  movement  of  pride : 

"  If  I  had  continued  my  evocations  longer,  the  papaw 
tree  would  have  borne  flowers  in  eight  days,  and  fruit  in 
fifteen. 

Bearing  in  mind  the  accounts  of  Hue,  the  missionary, 
as  well  as  various  other  phenomena  of  the  same  character 
which  I  had  myself  witnessed  in  the  Carnatic,  I  said  in 
reply  that  there  were  other  performers  who  accomplished 
the  same  results  in  two  hours. 

"  You  are  mistaken,"  said  the  Hindu ;  "  in  the  mani- 
festations you  speak  of,  there  is  an  apport,  as  it  is  called, 
of  fruit  trees  by  the  spirits.  What  I  have  just  shown 
you  is  really  spontaneous  vegetation  •  but  the  pure  fluid, 
under  the  direction  of  the  Pitris,  never  was  able  to  pro- 
duce the  three  phases  of  germination,  flowering,  and  fruit- 
age in  a  single  day." 

It  was  near  the  hour  of  ablutions ;  in  other  words,  it 
was  near  sunset.  The  Fakir  hastened  to  leave,  engaging 
to  meet  me,  for  the  last  time,  at  ten  o'clock  that  evening, 
when  the  remainder  of  the  night  was  to  be  devoted  to 
phenomena  of  apparition. 

There  is  one  fact,  however,  which  I  ought  not  to  omit, 
and  which  may  be  of  service  in  arriving  at  a  satisfactory 
explanation,  and  that  is  a  fact  with  which  those  who  live 
in  India  are  perfectly  familiar. 

There  are  a  multitude  of  kitchen  plants  (I  have  seen  the 
experiment  tried  myself  a  score  of  times)  which,  when  put 
at  dawn  into  moist  soil,  and  exposed  to  the  favorable  in- 
fluence of  a  sun  which  does  wonders,  appear  above  ground 
between  noon  and  one  o'clock,  and  at  six  o'clock,  or  the 
close  of  day,  are  already  nearly  half  an  inch  high. 


264  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

On  the  other  hand,  I  am  bound  also  to  say,  in  justice  to 
the  Fakir,  at  least  fifteen  days  are  necessary  to  the  ger- 
mination of  a  papaw  seed. 

We  have  dwelt  long  enough,  however,  on  a  fact  which 
many  will  reject  as  a  delusion,  and  which  cannot  be  ex- 
plained by  any  process  of  pure  reasoning,  excluding  the 
hypothesis  of  fraud. 


APPARITIONS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

MYSTERIOUS  HANDS — THE  PRODUCTION  OF  FLOWERS,  CROWNS, 

ETC. LETTERS    OF      FIRE THE    SPECTRE    OF    A    PRIEST 

OF  BRAHMA — THE   PHANTOM  MUSICIAN. 

Looking  over  my  notes  of  travel,  which  were  jotted 
down  the  next  day,  I  see  that  they  were  written  under  the 
influence  of  the  great  excitement  caused  by  the  strange 
scenes  that  I  had  witnessed  the  day  previous.  I  have 
simply  undertaken  to  narrate  facts  as  they  occurred.  If  I 
should  transcribe  them  as  written,  in  the  present  work,  I 
should  be  untrue  to  the  character  I  have  assumed. 

If  the  reader  is  at  all  curious  as  to  these  singular  man- 
ners and  practices,  he  will  find  them  described  elsewhere  * 
in  all  their  details.  As  in  the  case  of  previous  phenomena, 
my  office  is  simply  to  report  the  facts  that  occurred  dur- 
ing that  surprising  evening. 

At  the  appointed  hour  Covindasamy  quietly  entered  my 
room. 

"  Is  not  the  Fakir  fatigued  by  three  weeks  of  watching 
and  prayer  ? "  said  I,  greeting  him  in  the  most  friendly 
manner. 

"  The  Fakir's  body  is  never  fatigued.  It  is  a  slave, 
whose  only  duty  is  obedience,"  answered  the  Hindu,  sen- 
tentiously. 

Before  entering  my  apartments,  he  had  divested  himself 

1  Travels  among  the  performing  Fakirs,  1  vol.  in  press,  Dentu,  Paris. 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

of  the  small  piece  of  cloth,  called  the  langouty,  about 
four  inches  wide,  which  usually  composed  his  only  gar- 
ment, and  had  deposited  it  upon  one  of  the  steps.  He 
was  entirely  naked  when  he  came  in,  and  his  seven  - 
knotted  stick  was  fastened  to  a  lock  of  his  long  hair. 

"Nothing  impure"  said  he,  "should  come  in  contact 
with  the  body  of  the  evocator,  if  he  wishes  to  reserve  his 
power  of  communication  with  the  spirits  unimpaired. 

Whenever  I  met  a  Fakir  of  this  character  I  wondered 
whether  those  whom  the  Greeks  saw  upon  the  banks  of 
the  Indus  and  whom  they  called  ryv/jLvoa-ofaa-rai,  or  naked 
monks,  did  not  belong  to  the  same  class. 

My  bedroom  was  on  a  level  with  the  terrace.  I  set 
apart  both  rooms  for  our  experiments,  and  carefully  shut 
and  fastened  all  the  outside  doors  by  means  of  which  they 
were  accessible. 

The  terrace  was  securely  closed  by  its  movable  ceiling 
and  curtains  of  vetivert  matting.  There  was  no  opening 
from  the  outside,  and  nobody  could  gain  admission  except 
through  my  bedroom. 

In  the  centre  of  each  room  there  was  a  cocoa  oil-lamp, 
protected  by  a  glass  shade  of  the  clearest  crystal,  which 
hung  from  a  bronze  chain  and  diffused  a  soft  light,  suffi- 
ciently intense,  however,  to  enable  any  one  to  read  the 
smallest  type  in  the  remotest  corner  of  the  room. 

All  Hindu  houses  contain  small  copper  furnaces  which 
are  kept  constantly  supplied  with  burning  coals,  on  which 
are  burned  from  time  to  time  a  few  pinches  of  a  per- 
fumed powder,  consisting  of  sandal  wood,  iris  root,  in- 
cense and  myrrh. 

The  Fakir  placed  one  of  these  in  the  centre  of  the  ter- 
race, and  deposited  by  its  side  a  copper  platter  filled  with 
the  fragrant  powder ;  having  done  so,  he  took  his  seat 
upon  the  floor  in  his  usual  posture,  with  his  arms  folded 
across  his  chest,  and  commenced  a  long  incantation  in  an 
unknown  tongue. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  267 

When  he  was  through  with  the  recitation  of  his  men- 
trams,  he  remained  in  the  same  position  without  making 
a  movement,  his  left  hand  resting  upon  his  heart,  and  his 
right  hand  leaning  upon  his  seven-knotted  stick. 

I  thought  that  he  was  going  to  drop  into  a  cataleptic  sleep 
as  he  had  done  the  day  before,  but  such  was  not  the  case. 
From  time  to  time,  he  pressed  his  hand  against  his  forehead, 
and  seemed  to  make  passes  as  though  to  relieve  his  brain. 

Involuntarily,  I  experienced  a  sudden  shock.  A  slightly 
phosphorescent  cloud  seemed  to  have  formed  in  the  mid- 
dle of  my  chamber,  from  which  semblances  of  hands  ap- 
peared to  go  and  come  with  great  rapidity.  In  a  few 
minutes,  several  hands  seemed  to  have  lost  their  vaporous 
appearance  and  to  resemble  human  hands ;  so  much  so, 
indeed,  that  they  might  have  been  readily  mistaken  for  the 
latter.  Singular  to  relate,  while  some  became,  as  it  were, 
more  material,  others  became  more  luminous.  Some  be- 
came opaque,  and  cast  a  shadow  in  the  light,  while  others 
became  so  transparent  that  an  object  behind  them  could 
be  distinctly  seen. 

I  counted  as  many  as  sixteen. 

Asking  the  Fakir  if  I  could  touch  them,  I  had  hardly 
expressed  a  wish  to  that  effect,  when  one  of  them,  break- 
ing away  from  the  rest,  flew  toward  me  and  pressed  my 
outstretched  hand.  It  was  small,  supple  and  moist,  like 
the  hand  of  a  young  woman. 

"  The  spirit  is  present,  though  one  of  its  hands  is  alone 
visible,"  said  Covindasamy.  "  You  can  speak  to  it,  if  you 
wish." 

I  smilingly  asked  whether  the  spirit  to  whom  that 
charming  hand  belonged  would  give  me  something  in  the 
nature  of  a  keepsake. 

Thereupon,  in  answer  to  my  request,  I  felt  the  hand 
fade  away  in  my  own.  I  looked ;  it  was  flying  toward  a 
bouquet  of  flowers,  from  which  it  plucked  a  rosebud,  which 
it  threw  at  my  feet  and  vanished. 


268  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN   INDIA. 

For  nearly  two  hours  a  scene  ensued  which  was  calcu- 
lated to  set  my  head  in  a  whirl.  At  one  time,  a  hand 
brushed  against  my  face  or  fanned  it  with  a  fan.  At 
another,  it  would  scatter  a  shower  of  flowers  all  over  the 
room,  or  would  trace  in  the  air,  in  characters  of  fire,  words 
which  vanished  as  soon  as  the  last  letter  was  written. 

Some  of  these  words  were  so  striking  that  I  wrote  them 
down  hastily  with  a  pencil. 

Divyava/pour  gatwd. 

Meaning  in  Sanscrit — "  I  have  clothed  myself  with  a 
fluidic  (fluidique)  body." 

Immediately  afterward,  the  hand  wrote  : 

Atmdnam  creyasa  yoxyatas 
Dehasycb  'syd  vimdcanant. 

"  You  will  attain  happiness  when  you  lay  aside  this  per- 
ishable body." 

Meanwhile,  flashes  of  genuine  lightning  seemed  to  dart 
across  both  rooms. 

Gradually,  however,  all  the  hands  disappeared.  The 
cloud  from  which  they  came  seemed  to  vanish  by  degrees 
as  the  hands  became  more  material. 

In  the  place  where  the  last  hand  had  disappeared,  we 
found  a  garland  of  those  yellow  flowers  with  penetrating 
fragrance  which  the  Hindus  use  in  all  their  ceremonies. 

I  offer  no  explanation — I  merely  relate  what  occurred — 
leaving  the  reader  at  perfect  liberty  to  draw  any  conclu- 
sion that  he  may  see  fit. 

I  can  state  positively,  however,  that  the  doors  of  both 
rooms  were  closed,  that  I  had  the  keys  in  my  pocket,  and 
that  the  Fakir  had  not  changed  his  position. 

To  these  phenomena  succeeded  two  others,  that  were, 
perhaps,  more  surprising  still. 


OCCULT   SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  26$ 

Shortly  after  the  hands  had  disappeared,  and  while  the 
Fakir  was  still  going  on  with  his  evocations,  a  cloud  simi- 
lar to  the  first,  but  more  opaque  and  of  a  brighter  color, 
hovered  near  the  little  furnace,  which,  at  the  Hindu's  re- 
quest, I  had  kept  constantly  fed  with  burning  coals.  By 
degrees  it  seemed  to  assume  a  human  form,  and  I  distin- 
guished the  spectre  —  for  I  cannot  call  it  otherwise  —  of  an 
old  Brahminical  priest  kneeling  by  the  side  of  the  little 
furnace. 

On  his  forehead  he  wore  the  signs  of  his  consecration  to 
Yischnou,  while  his  body  was  girdled  with  the  triple 
cord,  which  signified  that  he  had  been  initiated  into  the 
priestly  caste.  He  clasped  his  hands  above  his  head  as 
in  the  performance  of  sacrifices,  and  his  lips  moved  as  if 
they  were  reciting  prayers.  At  a  certain  moment,  he 
took  a  pinch  of  the  perfumed  powder  and  threw  it  upon 
the  furnace  ;  there  must  have  been  an  unusual  quantity, 
for  the  fire  emitted  a  thick  smoke  which  filled  both  rooms. 

When  the  smoke  dispersed,  I  noticed  the  spectre  less 
than  a  couple  of  yards  distant  ;  it  held  out  to  me  its  flesh- 
less  hands.  I  took  them  in  my  own,  as  I  returned  his 
greeting,  and  was  surprised  to  find  them,  though  hard  and 
bony,  warm  and  lifelike. 

"  Are  you  really,"  said  I,  in  a  distinct  voice,  "  a  former 
inhabitant  of  the  earth  ?  " 

I  had  hardly  finished  the  question,  when  the  word 


(meaning  Yes), 

appeared  and  disappeared  in  letters  of  fire  upon  the  bosom 
of  the  old  Brahmin.  The  effect  was  similar  to  that  which 
would  have  been  produced  if  the  word  had  been  written 
in  the  dark  with  a  bit  of  phosphorus. 

"  Will  you  not  leave  me  something  as  a  token  of  your 
presence  ?" 

The  spirit  broke  the  triple  cord,  consisting  of  three 


270  OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

strands  of  cotton,  which  was  tied  about  his  loins,  gave  it 
to  me  and  then  faded  away  before  my  eyes. 

I  supposed  that  the  seance  was  over,  and  I  was  going  to 
raise  the  movable  curtains  that  shaded  the  terrace,  to  ad- 
mit a  little  fresh  air  inside,  where  the  heat  was  really  suf- 
focating, when  I  noticed  that  the  Fakir  seemed  to  have 
no  such  idea.  All  at  once,  I  heard  a  strange  tune  per- 
formed upon  an  instrument,  which  seemed  to  be  the  har- 
moniflute that  we  had  used  a  couple  of  days  before.  That, 
however,  appeared  impossible,  inasmuch  as  the  Peishwa 
had  sent  for  it  the  day  before,  and  it  was  consequently  no 
longer  in  my  rooms. 

It  sounded  at  a  distance,  at  first,  but  soon  it  came  so 
near  that  it  appeared  to  come  from  the  next  room,  and  I 
seemed  before  long  to  hear  it  in  my  bedroom.  I  noticed 
the  phantom  of  a  musician  from  the  pagodas,  gliding  along 
the  wall.  He  had  a  harmoniflute  in  his  hands,  from  which 
he  drew  plaintive  and  monotonous  notes  exactly  like  the 
religious  music  of  the  Hindus. 

When  he  had  made  the  circuit  of  my  room  and  of  the 
terrace,  he  disappeared,  and  1  found  the  instrument  that 
ne  had  used  at  the  very  place  where  he  had  vanished. 

It  was  actually  the  rajah's  harmoniflute.  I  examined 
•all  the  doors,  but  I  found  them  all  securely  locked  and  I 
had  the  keys  in  my  pocket. 

Covindasamy  then  arose.  All  his  limbs  were  covered 
with  perspiration,  and  he  seemed  to  be  thoroughly  ex- 
hausted, though,  in  a  few  hours,  he  was  to  set  out  on  his 
return  journey. 

"  Thanks,  Malabar,"  said  I,  calling  him  by  a  name  that 
he  liked,  because  it  reminded  him  of  his  native  land.  May 
lie  who  possesses  the  three  mysterious  powers 1  protect  you 
as  you  journey  toward  the  fair  land  of  the  South,  and  may 
you  find  that  joy  and  happiness  have  ruled  in  your  cottage 
•during  your  absence." 

1  The  Brahminic  trinity. 


OCCULT  SCIENCE  IN  INDIA.  271 

It  is  usual  in  India  for  people  who  are  about  to  part  to 
address  each  other  in  effusive  and  flowery  terms,  and  I 
should  have  hurt  the  poor  Fakir's  feelings  if  I  had  spoken 
otherwise  or  had  used  plainer  language,  which  he  would 
have  taken  as  a  sign  of  indifference.  He  answered  me  in 
the  same  manner,  but  in  even  more  exaggerated  style, 
and,  after  accepting  the  presents  that  I  offered  him,  with- 
out even  looking  at  them  or  even  deigning  to  thank  me, 
he  sorrowfully  made  his  parting  salaam  and  noiselessly 
disappeared  behind  the  curtains  that  hung  before  the  out- 
side door  to  my  rooms. 

As  soon  as  he  had  gone,  I  called  my  cansama,  and  or- 
dered him  to  remove  all  the  tattis  and  matting  from  the 
terrace,  so  as  to  admit  the  cool  morning  air. 

In  the  pale  light  of  approaching  day,  I  noticed  a  black 
speck  upon  the  silvery  waves  of  the  Ganges,  as  they  rolled 
below,  which  seemed  to  move  toward  the  opposite  shore. 
I  turned  my  night  glass  in  that  direction.  It  was  the 
Eakir,  who,  as  he  had  said,  had  awakened  the  ferryman 
and  was  crossing  the  Ganges  on  his  homeward  way  to 
Trivanderam.  A  faint  red  streak  in  the  distant  sky  indi- 
cated that  the  horizon  would  soon  be  illuminated  by  the 
beams  of  the  rising  sun. 

He  would  soon  see  the  ocean  with  its  blue  waves,  his 
beloved  cocoa-nut  trees,  and  the  cottage  that  he  was  con- 
stantly talking  about. 

I  threw  myself  upon  a  hammock  for  a  few  hours'  rest. 
When  I  awoke  and  remembered  the  strange  scenes  that 
had  passed  before  my  eyes,  it  seemed  as  though  I  had  been 
the  plaything  of  a  dream.  Yet  there  was  the  harmoni- 
flute,  and  I  could  not  find  out  who,  if  anybody,  had 
brought  it.  The  floor  of  the  terrace  was  still  strewn  with 
flowers,  the  crown  of  flowers  was  upon  a  divan,  and  the 
words  that  I  had  written  had  not  vanished  from  the 
memorandum  book  in  which  I  had  jotted  them  down. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE    PHANTOM    OF   KAKLI. 

About  four  years  after  this,  I  was  travelling  in  the  prov 
ince  of  Aurungabad,  on  a  visit  to  the  subterranean  tem- 
ple of  Karli,  having  come  through  Madras,  Bellary,  and 
Bedjapour. 

These  celebrated  crypts,  which  are  excavated  from  the 
living  rock,  are  all  situated  within  the  area  bounded  by 
the  Mahratta  Hills,  where  are  also  found  all  the  other 
monuments  of  this  character  that  India  possesses,  as,  for 
instance,  Ellora,  Elephanta,  Rosah,  etc. 

According  to  E.  Roberts,  these  hills,  which  all  terminate 
in  wide  plateaux,  were  protected,  at  one  time,  by  for- 
tresses, which  made  this  place  a  formidable  line  of  defence 
against  the  Arabs  and  Mussulmans,  which  proved  effectual 
for  more  than  five  centuries. 

The  ruins  of  citadels  are  still  standing  upon  the  steep 
road  leading  to  Karli. 

The  entrance  to  the  caves  is  situated  about  three  hun- 
dred feet  above  the  bottom  of  the  hill,  and  the  only  access 
is  by  a  rough  and  narrow  path,  which  is  more  like  the  bed 
of  a  torrent  than  a  practicable  road. 

The  path  leads  to  a  terrace  or  platform,  partly  artificial, 
and  cut  in  the  rock,  or  built  of  fragments  of  rock  taken 
from  the  inside. 

It  is  about  a  hundred  feet  wide,  and  forms  a  square 
worthy  of  the  magnificence  of  the  interior  of  the  temple. 

At  the  left  of  the  portico  stands  a  massive  column,  sup- 
porting, upon  its  capital,  three  lions  so  disfigured  by  the 
hand  of  time  that  they  can  with  difficulty  be  recognized 


OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN  INDIA. 

at  all.  This  column  is  covered  with  inscriptions  that  are 
now  illegible. 

Penetrating  into  the  interior,  I  stood  at  the  threshold  of 
a  spacious  vestibule,  the  entire  length  of  which,  measuring 
about  a  hundred  and  sixty  feet,  is  covered  with  arabesques 
and  sculptured  figures  of  animals  and  men.  On  either 
side  of  the  entrance  stood  three  elephants  of  colossal  size, 
with  their  drivers  upon  their  necks  and  their  houdahs 
upon  their  backs,  in  which,  with  great  boldness,  the  un- 
known artist  had  fashioned  a  multitude  of  persons.  The 
arched  vault  is  sustained  by  two  rows  of  pillars,  each  of 
which  is  also  surmounted  by  an  elephant,  bearing  upon 
his  back  a  man  and  woman,  in  the  form  of  cariatides, 
who  seem  to  bend  beneath  the  enormous  weight  they 
bear. 

The  interior  is  imposing  but  dismal,  and  it  is  impossible 
to  find  one's  way  in  the  prevailing  darkness. 

This  grand  underground  crypt  is  a  celebrated  place  of 
resort  for  pilgrims,  and  crowds  of  Fakirs  are  often  met 
with,  who  have  come  from  all  parts  of  India,  to  perform 
their  devotions  in  the  Cave  of  Evocations. 

Others  live  permanently  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
temple,  where  they  spend  the  whole  of  their  time  in  cor- 
poreal mortifications  and  mental  contemplation,  sitting, 
day  and  night,  in  front  of  two  blazing  fires,  which  are 
constantly  fed  by  the  attendants,  who  wear  a  band  upon 
their  mouth  to  prevent  inhaling  the  slightest  impurity, 
and  eat  nothing  but  a  few  grains  of  cooked  rice,  which  they 
moisten  with  water  filtered  through  a  piece  of  linen  cloth. 
They  gradually  arrive  at  a  state  of  emaciation  bordering 
closely  upon  death.  Their  moral  strength  is  soon  im- 
paired, and  when  this  protracted  suicide  has  brought  them 
to  death's  door,  they  have  long  been  in  such  a  state  of 
intellectual  and  physical  decrepitude  that  they  hardly 
seem  to  be  alive. 

All  Fakirs  who  strive  to  attain  the  highest  transforma- 
18 


274  OCCULT   SCIENCE   IN   INDIA. 

tions  in  the  superior  spheres  have  to  undergo  these  terri- 
ble mortifications. 

One  was  pointed  out  to  me  who  had  arrived  some 
months  ago  from  Cape  Comorin,  and  who,  sitting  between 
two  fires,  in  order,  no  doubt,  to  hasten  the  decomposition 
of  his  physical  organs,  had  already  arrived  at  a  state  of 
almost  complete  insensibility.  Imagine  my  astonishment 
when,  from  a  deep  scar  running  across  the  whole  upper 
part  of  his  skull,  I  thought  I  recognized  the  Fakir  of 
Trivanderam. 

Approaching  and  addressing  him  in  that  beautiful 
Southern  language  in  which  he  so  much  liked  to  converse, 
I  asked  him  if  he  remembered  the  Franguy  of  Benares. 

His  almost  lifeless  eyes  seemed  to  blaze  up  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  I  heard  him  murmur  the  two  Sanscrit  words, 
which  I  had  seen  in  phosphorescent  letters  on  the  evening 
of  our  last  sitting : 

Di/vya/va/pour  gatwd, 

meaning,  "  I  have  clothed  myself  with  a  fluidic  (fluidique) 
body." 

That  was  the  only  sign  of  recognition  that  I  was  able  to 
obtain.  He  was  known  to  the  Hindus  in  the  neighbor- 
hood as  Karli  Sava,  or  the  Karli  Phantom. 

So,  decrepitude  and  imbecility  appear  to  be  the  final 
end  of  all  Hindu  transformed  Fakirs. 


CONCLUSION. 

IN  conclusion,  we  can  only  repeat  the  words  of  our 
preface : 

"  It  is  not  our  office  to  decide,  either  for  or  against,  the 
belief  in  spirits,  whether  mediating  or  inspiring" 

Our  aim  is  merely  to  give  an  account  of  the  philosophi- 
cal and  spiritualistic  tenets  of  the  Brahmins,  as  well  as  of 
the  external  phenomena  and  manifestations  which  are,  ac- 
cording to  them,  the  means  whereby  the  Pitris,  or  ances- 
tral shades,  demonstrate  their  existence  and  communicate 
with  men. 

All  ancient  religions,  and  even  Christianity  itself,  ac- 
knowledge the  existence  of  extraordinary  beings,  who 
have  a  special  part  to  perform  in  the  continuous  move- 
ment of  creation.  All  teach  that  man,  upon  laying  aside 
his  present  earthly  envelope,  enters  the  superior  world  in 
the  state  of  a  spirit. 

The  constant  perfectibility  of  the  soul,  and  the  spiritual 
life— that  is  their  common  philosophical  idea. 

As  for  the  phenomena  and  manifestations,  which  are 
claimed  to  be  supernatural,  we  also  find  them  to  be  an 
outgrowth  of  this  belief,  both  in  the  temples  of  India, 
Chaldea,  and  Egypt,  and  in  the  catacombs  to  which  the 
early  Christians  fled  for  shelter. 

We  refrain  from  making  any  positive  statement  as  to 
the  possibility  or  not  of  the  extraordinary  phenomena  per- 
formed by  the  Fakirs,  as  we  have  described  them,  which 
some  attribute  to  the  adroitest  imposture  and  others  to  oc- 
cult intervention,  but  leave  the  reader  to  judge  for  him- 
self. 


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